Meta details safeguards to India after PM Modi post row, but government seeks further assurances
New Delhi: Meta has formally written to the Indian government detailing the safeguards it has put in place for posts made by high-profile accounts after the erroneous removal of a social media post by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, triggered sharp official scrutiny. While the company has apologized for the incident, the Centre has indicated that its explanation alone is insufficient and that further discussions will be required, as RNA Media had reported.
The communication follows a meeting between senior Meta executives and officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), after the government summoned the company’s global head of public policy to explain how a post by Modi was briefly taken down from one of Meta’s platforms. The post, which addressed India’s youth and promised stringent action against examination paper leaks, was later restored after the company acknowledged that its automated systems had made an error.
According to sources, Meta has now provided the government with a detailed account of the mechanisms it employs to protect content published by verified and high-profile accounts. The company said it has strengthened safeguards designed to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents, particularly where content from elected representatives, government institutions and other public figures is concerned.
Officials familiar with the discussions said the government remains unconvinced that the safeguards outlined by Meta fully address the concerns raised by the incident. They emphasized that the matter has not been closed and that further engagement with the company is expected before the Centre reaches a final view.
The episode has renewed attention on the growing dependence of governments and political leaders on global social media platforms for public communication, and on the challenges of automated content moderation. Although artificial intelligence-driven moderation systems enable platforms to process enormous volumes of content, experts have long warned that they remain susceptible to false positives that can inadvertently affect legitimate posts.
For New Delhi, the incident also fits into a broader pattern of regulatory engagement with Meta over platform governance and online safety. Recently, as RNA Media had reported, the government has questioned the company’s proposed WhatsApp username feature over fears that it could facilitate impersonation, phishing and financial fraud. Meta has since presented a series of technical safeguards, including reserving usernames associated with public figures and government entities, limiting unsolicited messaging and deploying systems to detect impersonation attempts.
Separately, Meta has also faced government scrutiny over advertisements linked to child sexual abuse material appearing on Instagram. The company subsequently outlined additional enforcement measures, saying it had removed around 160,000 suspicious accounts in India over the previous six months and continued to invest in artificial intelligence and human review to detect and eliminate abusive content. The latest exchange reflects India’s increasingly assertive approach towards major technology companies as it seeks greater accountability over content moderation, user safety and platform governance.
With India representing one of Meta’s largest global markets, continued engagement between the company and Indian regulators is likely to shape how global technology platforms adapt their moderation and compliance practices for one of the world’s fastest-growing digital ecosystems.
