NEW DELHI: Amid mounting scrutiny, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologised to the government for Facebook taking down PM Modi’s video, and the social media giant’s lapses related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfake content and errors in operating its platforms, government officials said. The tech major also confirmed that it took money to boost certain types of content, the officials added.Meta blamed technical glitches for Modi’s video being taken down, in which he had reached out to student protesters.“I apologised to the minister (Ashwini Vaishnaw) on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi’s post,” Meta’s chief global affairs officer Joel Kaplan said in a statement. Government officials said Zuckerberg’s apology was communicated through Kaplan.The apology came hours after Zuckerberg was given a three-day ultimatum by a parliamentary standing committee headed by BJP’s Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday to either apologise for taking down PM Modi’s video or lose the ‘safe harbour’ that protects Meta from any liability for the content posted on its platforms.The social media giant acknowledged during discussions with the government that significant sums had been paid for boosting certain categories of content and accepted that paid promotion had resulted in illegal content being amplified for specific audiences, officials said. The company expressed regret over the lapses and admitted mistakes in the way the platform had been operating, officials added.
Officials told Meta it could lose safe harbour status
The meeting happened against the backdrop of widespread indignation in BJP and government quarters that Facebook facilitated algorithmic manipulation to fan discontent against the government over paper leaks and promote content, including a barrage of vile reels targeting the PM. Meta representatives will be summoned again, officials said, without disclosing the purpose or scope of the next meeting.Meta apologised for the shortcomings and assured authorities that corrective steps would be taken.Authorities also conveyed to Meta that it could not automatically claim protection available to intermediaries under Indian law if it actively selected who received content through algorithmic amplification or paid promotion. The company was told that such conduct could place it outside the definition of an intermediary, rendering it vulnerable to action by authorities and lawsuits by individuals.
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The government also sought details of safeguards to prevent the dissemination of CSAM, deepfakes and other harmful material. Officials said Meta accepted that illegal content had been promoted and acknowledged shortcomings in its systems.The government, meanwhile, is examining global regulatory approaches to children’s online safety as part of a broader review of its policy and legal framework. International models for protecting children online are being studied to assess whether additional safeguards or legislative changes are required as digital platforms come under increasing scrutiny over harmful and illegal content, it said in a statement.
