Government tightens digital oversight after Meta meeting

August 7, 2026 Hot from the Oven Valli Sarvani

Digital platforms face growing pressure as governments worldwide strengthen rules for online accountability and user safety.

The Centre has stepped up its oversight of Meta following concerns over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook video.

The move came after senior Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) officials held detailed discussions with the company’s global leadership.

The meeting followed Meta’s public apology, where it admitted the video removal resulted from a technical error.

Meta’s delegation was led by Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan. During the meeting, Kaplan repeated the company’s apology and assured officials that the issue was not intentional. However, the discussions extended far beyond the recent incident.

Government representatives focused on platform accountability and compliance with Indian laws. They also raised concerns over deepfakes, child sexual abuse material, and the responsibilities of social media companies.

Officials stressed that digital platforms operating in India must follow Indian legal standards instead of relying on regulations from other countries.

Moreover, the government clarified that it is not planning to establish a separate social media regulator. Instead, authorities will continue using the existing constitutional framework, including the reasonable restrictions permitted under Article 19.

Officials also reviewed technical issues, including platform logs, to better understand the circumstances behind content moderation decisions.

Meanwhile, MeitY has proposed significant amendments to the Information Technology Rules. The draft changes seek to tackle AI-generated misinformation and rapidly evolving deepfake technology.

If approved, platforms will need to remove unlawful AI-generated content within three hours after receiving a valid government or court order. The current deadline stands at 36 hours.

Additionally, the proposed rules require clear labels on AI-generated content. They also call for quicker grievance handling and stronger action against impersonation, deepfakes, and other harmful synthetic media.

According to officials, these measures aim to strengthen public trust in digital platforms as artificial intelligence becomes more advanced.

The proposed amendments are currently open for public consultation. After reviewing stakeholder feedback, the government will decide on the final framework.

Officials also confirmed that regular engagement with major platforms, including Meta, X, and Telegram, will continue to ensure compliance and improve online safety.

Image Credit: 123456jandec, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons