Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologises for CSAM, deepfake content, errors in operating platform: Report

Theindiapostdaily.com – Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed regret over the presence of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), deepfakes and operational lapses on the platform, reported PTI citing sources said on Wednesday, following a meeting between Meta's global team and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.The meeting came after the government recently summoned the company over Facebook's removal of a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.According to government sources, the Meta delegation was informed that the platform does not fall within the definition of an "intermediary" under the law.They further said that since the platform determines which users receive specific content, the safe harbour protection available under the Information Technology Act does not apply to it.According to its sources, the Meta team acknowledged that substantial sums had been spent to amplify a particular category of content and expressed regret over the lapse, apologising for the mistake.On Wednesday, Meta representatives, including Global Affairs officer Joel Kaplan, met Vaishnaw. The delegation also held a separate meeting with IT Secretary S. Krishnan.The social media giant has also faced regulatory attention over the presence of CSAM in paid advertisements on Instagram.

Last month, the government issued a notice to Meta seeking clarification on the matter."There are a range of issues…the CSAM issue was raised, so what measures have been taken regarding that, and synthetically generated information… to what extent that is being looked at. Then, for prominent personalities when they have verified accounts, if content has to be taken down, there have to be safeguards…all of these will be the issues (taken up)," Krishnan stated on Tuesday.Krishnan had said that as one of the world's largest technology companies, Meta should possess the technological capabilities to resolve such issues efficiently."We would like to understand from them (Meta) as to why some of these things have not been working the way they are supposed to work, and what are the challenges," Krishnan mentioned.He added that platforms must have a clear understanding of Indian laws, the requirements for compliance, "and a clearer understanding of how they intend to make sure compliance happens".Government sources had earlier indicated that the matter was not limited to technical issues but involved concerns related to “national security and public order”.

As the government sought explanations from Meta, the company's global team was expected to provide a "categorical" response on issues including algorithmic bias, the functioning of its algorithms and its responsibility towards maintaining public order.PM Modi's reel fiascoThe meetings come against the backdrop of the government's decision to summon Meta's senior global executives after Facebook briefly restricted PM Modi's post addressing India's youth and assuring stringent action against examination paper leaks.While Meta had described the incident as a technical error and issued an apology, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) found the explanation "inadequate". The company, which owns Facebook, had said that the post was taken down "in error" and later reinstated on the platform.Meta informed the IT Ministry that posts from PM Modi and other prominent accounts would undergo enhanced scrutiny on the platform, involving multiple layers of review by senior company officials. The company also shared details of the additional and stricter safeguards it introduced on July 28 for content posted by the Prime Minister and other high-profile accounts.Modi's July 23 Instagram post, which was later shared on Facebook, marked his first direct selfie-style video aimed at connecting with young people and highlighting the government's commitment to taking strict action against paper leaks amid the protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

The Facebook version of the post was temporarily restricted by Meta before being restored.Meta officials attributed the incident to AI-driven automated content filters that were reviewing shared posts and related videos circulated after the Prime Minister's original post. The company informed the government that the automated system mistakenly removed the original post itself for a brief period.By calling in Meta's global executives, the government aims to ensure that the company's top leadership is directly apprised of the concerns raised by Indian authorities. The decision to engage with international executives, rather than only India-based representatives, reflects the Centre's focus on addressing issues of platform accountability with Meta's global leadership.Meanwhile, a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Wednesday sought an apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the removal of PM Modi's speech from Facebook.In a letter addressed to the secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, a Lok Sabha Secretariat official warned that Zuckerberg's legal protection and immunity could be withdrawn if he failed to issue an apology within three days.(With inputs from agency)