The government said Meta must follow India's domestic legal framework rather than relying solely on its global content policies, while clarifying that no blanket algorithm overhaul has been ordered.
MeitY called for proactive action against child sexual abuse material and stronger human oversight for sensitive cases involving deepfakes and synthetic content.
Officials questioned Meta over why flagged synthetic content resurfaces and why recommendation systems continue amplifying material users may not be interested in.
India vs Meta: Why MeitY Is Demanding Answers On Deepfakes And Algorithms
The government has told Meta to comply with Indian laws and strengthen its content moderation, particularly around CSAM, deepfakes and algorithmic amplification, while clarifying that it has not ordered a complete overhaul of Meta's algorithms
Summary
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The Indian government clarified on Sunday (Aug 9, 2026) that Meta must be governed by domestic regulations rather than relying merely on its global corporate policies, ANI reported.
Government sources stated it would be factually inaccurate to assume the state had "directed Meta to completely overhaul its algorithm".
The clarification follows a technical meeting held on Friday (Aug 7, 2026) between MeitY officials and the technical team from Meta, where the company's representatives demonstrated their current procedures for managing harmful digital content.
The primary objective of the recent engagements is to ensure the technology giant aligns its content guidelines strictly with Indian legal frameworks.
Cultural Nuance and CSAM
Government sources informed ANI that offshore moderation teams often fail to understand India's specific cultural context and languages.
The state declared that Meta requires greater local input and a stronger grasp of regional nuances to moderate online content effectively.
Authorities maintained a zero-tolerance and zero-compromise stance regarding Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Allowing such illicit material to remain accessible constitutes a serious violation of domestic rules, MeitY officials stated.
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The government demanded that Meta implement proactive and concrete measures to combat CSAM on its network. Administrators stressed that tangible action is required immediately rather than mere verbal assurances.
Tackling Deepfakes and Algorithms
Addressing the proliferation of deepfakes involving prominent personalities, the government stated that authentic content posted from verified handles must not be misidentified as synthetic. MeitY officials called for a "human-in-the-loop" mechanism, arguing that sensitive moderation cases cannot rely entirely on automated detection systems.
Authorities asked Meta to explain why synthetically generated content frequently resurfaces after being identified and removed.
The ministry demanded that the company specify what concrete steps it is taking to prevent such deepfakes from reappearing. MeitY officials also questioned the technology firm regarding its recommendation and virality algorithms.
MeitY officials asked why users receive content entirely unrelated to their stated interests, pointing to underlying systemic flaws.
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The state further directed Meta to clarify why its algorithms continue to amplify synthetic material instead of suppressing it once flagged.
Officials insisted that once such content is flagged, it should neither be recommended further nor allowed to resurface repeatedly. Technical discussions remain ongoing between MeitY and the platform, with another round of bilateral meetings scheduled for the coming week.