Meta is once again under the scanner of the Government of India. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked the company to review the content recommendation system on Facebook and Instagram. According to the PTI report, the government has expressed concern over the spread of misleading information, edited photos and videos on the platform, as well as content that can lead to violence or disturbance to public order.
The government wants Meta’s algorithms to not over-promote any one idea or limited narrative, but to deliver diverse viewpoints of relevant and trustworthy information to users. According to the report, the ministry’s advisory includes six important instructions for the company.
Government keeps an eye on the content of Facebook and Instagram
According to PTI report, MeitY has asked Meta that the content recommendation system on its platform should show comprehensive and reliable information to the users. There is a need to avoid giving too much visibility to any one idea or repeatedly promoting some selected narratives.
The Ministry has also given instructions to strengthen the process of identifying, reviewing such content and, if necessary, passing it on to the concerned team, which may spread confusion or fear among the people or may create problems related to violence and public order.
The government has also expressed concern over old or selectively edited visuals being presented as current events. Additionally, videos that show misleading claims related to emergency situations or police action and law and order incidents without adequate context have also been cited.
According to the advisory, Meta will have to ensure that misleading or altered content is not excessively promoted through its recommendation system and such posts are not shown to users repeatedly.
Instructions to follow Indian laws
According to the report, MeitY has reminded Metra to comply with its responsibilities under Indian laws. In this, the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Information Technology Rules, 2021 have been mentioned.
The company has also been asked to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and authorized government institutions. This includes providing necessary information or assistance within the stipulated time frame.
What are the six instructions for Meta?
According to the key advisory points in the report, Meta has been asked to take action in the following areas:
- Identifying restricted and illegal content and taking action against it.
- Reviewing Facebook and Instagram’s content recommendation systems.
- Preventing misleading content from gaining unusually high reach.
- Strengthening systems to prevent old or edited visuals from spreading as current events.
- Rapidly identifying and reviewing content that may cause violence, intimidation or impact on public order.
- To cooperate with government entities and law enforcement agencies authorized under Indian laws within prescribed time limits.
Currently, based on the information revealed in the report, this advisory reflects the government’s increased surveillance over Meta’s content moderation and recommendation system. Its objective is to limit the spread of misleading information on social media and to deliver more reliable content to users.
