The Centre has intensified its scrutiny of Meta after a Parliamentary Committee on Communications and Information Technology warned that the social media giant could lose its “safe harbour” protection under the Information Technology Act if it fails to comply with Indian laws governing online content.
The development comes as Meta’s senior global executives are scheduled to meet government officials over two days following controversy surrounding the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post related to the paper leak issue.
Parliamentary Panel Issues Strong Warning
Committee Chairman and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said platforms allowing objectionable AI-generated content targeting the Prime Minister, women and children cannot expect legal protection under the existing IT framework.
In a post on X, Dubey said, “The case filed by Telangana Police against Meta involving AI-generated objectionable content against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, content related to children and women, and the case filed by the same Hyderabad Police against Google for financial fraud apps, will not receive Safe Harbour protection from the Government of India under IT Act 79, 79(1), and IT Rule 7. These social media platforms will have to comply with the Constitution.”
Government To Question Meta On Multiple Issues
Officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) are expected to seek detailed explanations from Meta on its content moderation systems, AI-driven decision-making, algorithmic bias and handling of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
According to government sources, the discussions will also focus on national security concerns, public order and safeguards for verified accounts. Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan is expected to participate in the meetings.
Questions Over AI Moderation Systems
The government is also expected to examine why Meta’s automated moderation tools failed during recent incidents and whether the company has sufficient safeguards to prevent similar errors in future.
Officials have indicated that technology companies operating at Meta’s scale are expected to maintain stronger systems for detecting harmful content while ensuring compliance with Indian regulations.
PM Modi’s Facebook Post Triggered Fresh Scrutiny
The latest controversy began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post on July 23, addressing the country’s youth and the government’s action against paper leaks, was temporarily restricted.
Meta later attributed the incident to an AI-related technical error, apologised and restored the post. However, the government described the explanation as inadequate and asked the company to strengthen its automated moderation systems.
Following the incident, Meta reportedly assured authorities that posts published by the Prime Minister and other prominent verified accounts would undergo additional human oversight before any moderation decision is taken.
