New Delhi: Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly apologised to the Government of India over the presence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfake content and operational lapses on the company’s platforms during a meeting between Meta executives and senior government officials. The reported apology comes amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of the social media giant in India over content moderation and platform accountability.
According to media reports citing sources, the apology was conveyed during discussions between Meta’s senior executives and officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Apology reportedly conveyed during government meeting
According to reports, Zuckerberg apologised for the presence of child sexual abuse material, deepfake content and operational shortcomings across Meta’s platforms.
The reported apology was conveyed during a meeting between Meta executives and senior Indian government officials held this week.
Meta had not issued an official public response regarding the reported apology at the time of publication.
Government raises concerns over CSAM
The meeting followed the government’s action in July directing Meta to remove advertisements and content promoting child sexual abuse material on Instagram.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology also sought an explanation from the company on how such advertisements were allowed to appear on the platform.
Meta had earlier stated that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards child sexual abuse material and continues to strengthen its content detection and enforcement systems.
PM Modi post controversy also discussed
The discussions also followed the brief restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post last month.
Meta had informed the government that the post was removed inadvertently because of an operational error before being restored.
The incident prompted the government to summon Meta’s senior executives and seek explanations regarding the company’s content moderation systems and safeguards for prominent verified accounts.
Growing regulatory scrutiny
Meta has also faced legal scrutiny in India in recent weeks.
Hyderabad Police registered a case against Meta India head Arun Srinivas over videos allegedly depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an abusive manner on Facebook.
Separately, the government has intensified its oversight of digital platforms, stressing the need for greater accountability in content moderation and compliance with Indian laws.
India tightens content rules
India has introduced stricter digital content regulations this year, narrowing the legal protections available to online platforms for user-generated content.
Under the revised rules, social media companies must remove unlawful content flagged by courts or the government within three hours, instead of the earlier 36-hour window.
Failure to comply could expose platforms to greater legal liability and reduce the intermediary protections available under Indian law.
Conclusion
The reported apology by Mark Zuckerberg comes at a time when Meta faces increasing regulatory scrutiny in India over content moderation, child safety and operational safeguards. While Meta has reiterated its commitment to strengthening its systems, the government has made it clear that technology companies are expected to comply fully with Indian laws and ensure robust measures to prevent similar incidents.