Centre, Meta Continue Talks After Modi Reel Takedown

The Story in Brief

The Centre and Meta will hold technical discussions over the next three to four days on content moderation, algorithms and compliance after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook Reel was inaccessible for about five hours on July 28. Meta global affairs chief Joel Kaplan apologised to Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, saying an error had restricted the post. Meta told officials that automated systems had mistakenly matched the Reel with another video. A MeitY official said the government was satisfied with that explanation but wanted stronger safeguards under Indian law.

The government may also discuss Meta’s planned WhatsApp username feature, which officials fear could aid impersonation, fraud and cybercrime. Times Now News reported that officials questioned Meta over child sexual abuse material, deepfakes and paid content promotion. Meta has not publicly confirmed those claims. A parliamentary committee has sought an apology from Mark Zuckerberg and warned that intermediary protection could be withdrawn.