Meta 'more cautious' on child abuse matters after strong govt message

Sources said the government's intent is not censorship or restricting coverage in any way, but ensuring Indian laws and norms are followed and that social media harms are mitigated. Meta explained how its algorithms and systems work, the ministry sources said, noting that discussions.

The IT Ministry official further said that Meta has shown increased sensitivity and caution on CSAM, with the government seeing some action by the company following its recent discussions. Sources described the response as "important and significant".

What Happened

The government had unequivocally conveyed to Meta that CSAM violates Indian law and that no safe-harbour protection is available for content that violates the law in such a manner, sources said. They added that the message appears to have "gone home", with.

• Meta had assured that it is indeed serious and "working hard" to address concerns around deepfakes, child sexual abuse material, bots and synthetic content.

• In the rounds of discussions that followed, the Meta team apologised, and was asked by the government if it is adhering to Indian laws, grilled on algorithmic issues and guardrails meant to ensure that.

• Meta's team led by its global affairs head Joel Kaplan had met IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and IT Secretary S Krishnan earlier this month, following the government's summons over the temporary restriction of Prime.

Key Details

Sources clarified that safe harbour "removal" per se is not done by an act of government, but in the court of law. Violation of Section 67 of IT Act can lead to prosecution.

• Platforms must comply accordingly, they added.

• AI LABELLING On AI labelling, the ministry official said the law is clear that synthetically generated content must be labelled, and that responsibility lies at three levels, including with platforms.

• Sources said the government has acted within India's constitutional and statutory framework, including through Section 69 A of the IT Act, which it has used sparingly where prescribed conditions are fulfilled.

Why It Matters

On the talks with Meta, the ministry sources said the US tech giant has indicated it is working to prevent content already taken down (as unlawful) from repeatedly resurfacing, including through improvements to its filters. On the government's call for greater sensitivity.

• These concerns are not unique to India and several democracies, including Australia, the UK and France are grappling with it, they said, adding that platforms have a responsibility to mitigate such harms while recognising.

• The government's objective is to ensure Indian laws are followed and platforms do not create situations which are adverse to the country's social norms, while striking the right balance between the benefits platforms provide.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Business Standard as more details emerge