Meta Platforms chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has apologised to the Indian government over the presence of illegal content on the company's platforms and for operational failures, according to reports broadcast by local television networks.
The apology specifically related to child sexual abuse material and deepfake content that had been identified on Facebook and Instagram.
According to financial news outlet Moneycontrol, citing sources familiar with the matter, the apology was conveyed by Meta executives during a meeting with Indian government officials on Tuesday.
Government ordered content removal in July
In July, the Indian government instructed Meta to remove advertisements and content promoting child sexual abuse material on Instagram, according to a BBC report citing a senior official at India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
The government also demanded that the company explain within seven days how such advertisements had been allowed to appear on the platform.
Meta responded by stating that it operates a zero-tolerance policy towards such material and continues to strengthen its detection and enforcement systems.
Modi post controversy
Last month, India's Information Technology Ministry summoned Meta executives after Facebook temporarily removed a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an action the company later attributed to an unintentional operational error.
At the same time, Hyderabad Police registered a case against Meta India chief Arun Srinivas in connection with videos posted on Facebook that allegedly portrayed Modi in an offensive manner, according to a senior police official.
Tougher digital content rules
India has tightened its regulations governing digital content this year, reducing the legal protections that previously shielded platforms from liability for content posted by users and increasing the exposure of executives responsible for content moderation.
Since February, platforms have been required to remove illegal content flagged by courts or the government within three hours, compared with the previous 36-hour deadline.
Failure to comply risks the loss of the legal protections afforded to digital platforms under Indian law.
Growing scrutiny of major platforms
The case forms part of a broader trend of heightened regulatory scrutiny facing major US social media companies operating in India, one of the world's largest digital markets by user numbers.
Indian authorities have increasingly pressed platforms to strengthen moderation systems, improve compliance and respond more quickly to harmful or unlawful online content.
