Kashmir Impulse Desk
New Delhi, Oct 18
India’s Information Technology Ministry has asked Meta to review its content recommendation systems to prevent misleading or manipulated material from being disproportionately promoted on Facebook and Instagram, citing concerns about public confusion and potential disturbances to public order.
In an advisory dated October 10, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology asked the company to ensure its algorithms did not expose users disproportionately to a single narrative or a limited range of viewpoints.
The advisory also called for greater contextual information on photographs, videos and other material depicting ongoing public events, particularly when the date, location, authenticity or circumstances of the content were unclear.
The document did not identify a specific incident that prompted the advisory.
It came amid protests in Delhi by the Cockroach Janata Party and opposition parties demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Ministry sources said that reports from agencies had raised concerns that Meta’s platforms appeared to favour certain types of content over others through their algorithms.
The ministry said material relating to public-order situations, including videos, images, statements and graphics, could contribute to confusion and unrest when circulated without adequate context or promoted disproportionately.
The advisory asked Meta to strengthen the identification, review and escalation of content that gains significant reach through recommendation systems and could contribute to public disorder, violence or other unlawful activity.
It specifically flagged old or unrelated footage presented as current events, selectively edited visuals, unverified claims about emergencies or official restrictions, and material likely to incite violence.
The ministry also called on Meta to cooperate with law enforcement and other authorised agencies in accordance with applicable law and the timelines prescribed under the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
Citing the Information Technology Act, 2000, the advisory said intermediaries were required to exercise due diligence and inform users about prohibited content, including material likely to cause public disorder or incite certain offences.
The government said the measures were intended to promote responsible dissemination of information while respecting lawful expression and legitimate public debate.
It asked Meta to implement the measures with immediate effect and report the action taken.
Apar Gupta, founding director of the digital rights advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation, criticised the advisory, arguing that it could amount to an ongoing censorship directive despite not being legally binding.
Gupta called on the ministry to withdraw it and said Meta should publicly disclose every content removal and instance of reduced visibility carried out in response.
He also questioned the legal basis for the advisory’s references to content lacking adequate context and periods of heightened public-order sensitivity.
Meta’s response to the advisory was not included in the supplied report.
