Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is said to have apologised to India over the presence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and deepfake content on the social media platforms owned by the company, as per sources in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Zuckerberg tendered the apology during a meeting between senior global executives of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and officials of MeitY on Wednesday.
Mark Zuckerberg
Sources privy to the development added that Zuckerberg also expressed regret through senior company representatives over alleged shortcomings in the functioning of Meta’s intermediary platforms. The company, according to reports, admitted that significant amounts of money had been spent on promotion of certain categories of content and acknowledged mistakes in its systems.
Sources said, “Meta admitted that a lot of money was paid for boosting certain types of content. They apologised and regretted the mistake.”
Parliamentary panel seeks apology over removal of PM Modi’s video
The development came on the same day that a parliamentary committee on information technology (IT) reportedly gave Zuckerberg three days to apologise over the temporary removal of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s video from Facebook.
Meta CEO Zuckerberg
The Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, warned that upon failing to provide a cogent response could lead to a review of Meta’s safe harbour protection under Indian law, potentially resulting in legal action against the company, including the filing of a First Information Report (FIR).
The committee also sought action against intermediary platforms for hosting child sexual abuse material and content allegedly demeaning towards females.
As per sources, the panel told Meta representatives that platforms could not claim protection as mere intermediaries if they exercised control over content distribution. A source said, “It was made clear to them that they are not covered under the intermediary definition. They select who receives the content. Safe harbour under the IT Act is not applicable.”
Meta repeatedly under scanner over content moderation practices
The latest developments surface amid rising concerns over Meta’s content moderation mechanisms and the company’s ability to tackle harmful online material.
An investigative report published earlier by BBC Eye laid bare around 30 unique advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material on Meta’s platforms. Subsequently, the content was reported to both the company and Indian authorities. Meta, which operates some of the world's largest social media platforms, has faced repeated questions globally over its moderation policies, algorithmic systems and response mechanisms for dealing with abusive and misleading content.
The latest meeting between MeitY officials and Meta executives signals India's growing push for stricter compliance from digital platforms, particularly in areas involving child safety, deepfakes and online misinformation.