Meta CEO Zuckerberg apologises over child abuse content, deepfakes and platform errors: Report
The apology came after Meta's global team met India's IT minister following government concerns over content moderation and the temporary restriction of PM Modi's Facebook post.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologised over issues involving child abuse content, deepfakes and operational errors on the platform, according to a report by India's Press Trust of India (PTI), citing sources.
The reported apology came after a Meta delegation, including Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan, met India's Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and IT Secretary S Krishnan today (5 August).
The meeting followed the Indian government's decision to summon Meta's top global executives over the temporary restriction of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post addressing Indian youths and promising strict action against paper leaks.
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Meta had earlier said the restriction was caused by a technical error and apologised, but India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology described the explanation as "inadequate".
The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said the post was removed "in error" and was later restored.
Meta has also faced regulatory scrutiny in India over allegations related to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) appearing in paid advertisements on Instagram.
The Indian government issued a notice to the company last month over the issue.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, IT Secretary S Krishnan said verified accounts of prominent individuals should have additional safeguards before content is removed.
"For prominent personalities when they have verified accounts, if content has to be taken down, there have to be safeguards," he said.
He added that the government wanted to understand why some platform systems were not functioning as expected and what challenges the company was facing.
Indian government sources previously said the issue was not limited to technical matters but also involved concerns related to "national security and public order".
Following the controversy, Meta informed the IT Ministry that posts from Prime Minister Modi and other prominent accounts would undergo enhanced oversight, with multiple levels of review involving senior company officials.
The company also outlined additional safeguards implemented on 28 July for content posted by Modi and other high-profile accounts.
Modi's 23 July Instagram post, which was later shared on Facebook, was his first direct selfie video aimed at engaging with young people amid protests over NEET paper leaks.
The Facebook version of the post was briefly restricted before being restored.
