Centre’s hard talk with Meta leads to action on CSAM, says IT Ministry

The government’s firm stance on child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has led to action and increased sensitivity from Meta on the issue, IT Ministry sources said on Tuesday, stressing that there is no safe harbour when platforms violate the law, as reported by PTI.

The Centre has made it clear to Meta that CSAM is a serious violation and that social media platforms are expected to follow Indian laws and norms, the sources said.

The government’s intent is not to censor content or restrict legitimate coverage, but to ensure that platforms comply with Indian regulations and take steps to mitigate harms arising from social media, they added.

“The message has gone home,” PTI noted, quoting sources.

The comments come after the Centre’s recent engagement with Meta over concerns surrounding child sexual abuse material on its platforms. The government had earlier sought an explanation from Meta after an investigation highlighted Instagram advertisements allegedly promoting CSAM and directing users towards external messaging platforms.

The government’s scrutiny of Meta is part of a wider focus on how social media platforms detect, remove and prevent harmful content. The latest discussions have also given the government greater insight into how Meta’s systems operate.

During discussions, Meta explained how its algorithms and systems work, ministry sources said. The conversations are continuing, with sources noting that decisions around content moderation and platform systems involve “judgment calls, and tweaks”.

The government has also been examining the broader issue of social media harms, which officials said is not unique to India. Countries including Australia, the UK and France are also grappling with similar concerns.

“Platforms have a responsibility to address social media harms and strike the right balance,” sources asserted.

Meanwhile, the government’s concerns around Meta extend beyond CSAM. On the WhatsApp username feature, ministry sources said the matter remains under examination as it is not limited to WhatsApp and has implications for other messaging platforms as well. The government’s broader approach suggests that it is assessing the implications of such platform-level changes before allowing them to proceed.

On AI-generated content, a ministry official said the law is clear that synthetically generated content must be labelled. The responsibility lies at three levels, including with platforms, the official said, adding that platforms must comply accordingly.