India pressures Meta over deepfakes and CSAM

The Indian government, led by the India — Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has escalated its scrutiny of Meta Platforms over content moderation failures, including the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Meta Platforms post, the presence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in paid Meta Platforms — Instagram ads, and the spread of deepfakes and unlabelled AI-generated content. Meta's global team, including Global Affairs President Joel Kaplan, met with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and IT Secretary Ajit Krishnan over multiple days in August 2026. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized for the errors and lapses. The government questioned whether Meta's algorithmic curation and paid content promotion disqualify it from 'intermediary' status under India's IT Act, potentially stripping its safe harbour protections. Meta was asked to revamp its algorithms, submit a compliance roadmap, and coordinate with government Quick Response Teams. A parliamentary committee also demanded an apology from Zuckerberg within three days. The government has indicated it will examine other platforms similarly.