Meeting follows concerns over child safety, deepfakes and content moderation
NEW DELHI: Meta Platforms Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly apologised to the Indian government over the presence of child sexual abuse material, deepfake content and operational shortcomings on the company’s social media platforms, according to local media reports.
Financial publication Moneycontrol reported that the apology was conveyed during a meeting on Tuesday between Meta executives and senior Indian government officials. According to the report, Zuckerberg acknowledged concerns regarding harmful content and operational lapses affecting Meta’s services, including Facebook and Instagram.
Meta has not officially commented on the reported apology and did not immediately respond to media requests for clarification.
The reported meeting comes after Indian authorities intensified scrutiny of digital platforms over online safety and content moderation, particularly concerning material that exploits children and the spread of manipulated media.
Government strengthens oversight of online platforms
Earlier this year, the Indian government directed Meta to remove advertisements and content promoting child sexual abuse material from Instagram. Authorities also sought a detailed explanation regarding how such content appeared on the platform and requested a response within seven days.
At the time, Meta reiterated that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward child sexual abuse material and said it was continuing to strengthen its detection, monitoring and enforcement systems to identify and remove prohibited content more effectively.
Tighter regulations increase pressure on technology companies
Meanwhile, India has significantly tightened regulations governing digital platforms. The revised rules reduce the legal protections previously available to technology companies regarding user-generated content while increasing accountability for platform operators.
Under the updated framework, companies must remove unlawful content identified by courts or government authorities within three hours instead of the previous 36-hour deadline. Failure to comply could result in the loss of legal protections and expose companies and their executives to greater regulatory and legal consequences.
The latest developments highlight India’s growing focus on online safety, platform accountability and stricter enforcement of digital content regulations.
