Senior executives from Meta engaged in a series of high-level discussions with Indian government officials during the first week of August, focusing on content moderation practices, algorithmic systems, and adherence to domestic laws. The meetings followed the temporary restriction of a Facebook post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and broader regulatory concerns about harmful content on the company’s platforms.
Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan led the delegation and met Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw as well as IT Secretary S. Krishnan. Mr. Kaplan publicly apologized for the error that made Modi’s post inaccessible for several hours in late July, attributing the restriction to an operational or technical issue involving automated systems. Company representatives later shared system logs and technical explanations during subsequent sessions.
Discussions expanded beyond the specific incident to cover Meta’s recommendation algorithms, safeguards for verified accounts of public figures, the presence of child sexual abuse material in advertisements, the spread of deepfakes, and overall compliance mechanisms.
Government sources indicated that officials stressed the need for platforms operating in India to follow the Indian Constitution and local legal requirements rather than foreign frameworks. Meta acknowledged certain gaps in its systems and was asked to outline corrective measures. By August 6 and 7, technical teams from both sides continued engagements.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology directed Meta to submit a detailed compliance roadmap, including algorithmic adjustments aimed at limiting the circulation of propaganda, deepfakes, and other unlawful or manipulated content. Officials also sought faster removal of flagged material, stronger coordination with government quick-response teams, and adherence to data localization norms.
A portion of Meta’s global technical team was expected to remain in India for additional meetings until outstanding issues are addressed. The engagement forms part of heightened scrutiny of large digital platforms in India. A parliamentary panel had earlier raised questions about Meta’s safe-harbor protections in connection with the Modi post incident. Both sides have signaled continued dialogue, with the government reiterating that all social media and messaging services must meet their responsibilities under Indian law while Meta has expressed readiness to strengthen its processes.