The Union government has asked Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, to ensure its recommendation algorithms do not disproportionately promote a single or limited set of narratives. It has also directed the social media giant to strengthen monitoring of content that could cause public disorder, incite violence or encourage other unlawful activities.
In an advisory dated October 10, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) asked Meta to provide adequate context for photographs, videos, graphics and other content depicting ongoing public events, particularly when their authenticity, date, location or circumstances may not be clear to users.
The advisory does not name any specific incident that prompted the move. However, it comes amid protests in Delhi led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition parties demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to the advisory seen by PTI, Meta has also been asked to review its recommendation and content-ranking systems to prevent potentially misleading, manipulated or out-of-context material from being disproportionately amplified or repeatedly recommended to users.
The ministry said recommendation systems should not expose users disproportionately to a single or limited set of narratives and should instead provide diversity of relevant and credible information.
It also called for stronger mechanisms to identify, review and escalate content that gains significant reach through recommendation systems and could cause widespread confusion, apprehension, violence or a disturbance of public order.
Government Flags Algorithmic Promotion of Content
Sources in the IT Ministry told PTI that the government had received reports from agencies suggesting that Meta’s platforms were not promoting different narratives equally. According to the sources, the platforms’ algorithms appeared to favour certain types of content over others.
MeitY said it had observed that content related to ongoing public events was being prominently displayed and recommended to users on Meta’s platforms. This included videos, photographs, statements and static graphics concerning public-order and law-and-order situations.
The ministry warned that such material, when presented without adequate context or amplified disproportionately, could contribute to public confusion, apprehension and disturbances to public order and social tranquillity.
It asked Meta to pay particular attention to old or unrelated visuals presented as current events, selectively edited footage, and unverified or misleading claims concerning emergencies, restrictions, police action or other official measures.
The advisory also flagged audio-visual material about law-and-order situations that lacks adequate context, content likely to incite violence or other unlawful activity, and potentially misleading material that receives disproportionate amplification.
Meta Asked to Cooperate With Law Enforcement
Citing the Information Technology Act, 2000, MeitY said Meta, as an intermediary, was required to exercise due diligence under the IT Rules, 2021.
The rules require intermediaries to inform users about prohibited information, including content that may cause public disorder or incite a cognisable offence relating to public order.
The ministry has also asked Meta to cooperate promptly with law enforcement agencies and other authorised government bodies, including by providing information or assistance in accordance with applicable law and within the timelines prescribed under the IT Rules.
The advisory sets out six specific requests, including measures to identify and address content covered by the rules and a review of recommendation and ranking systems to prevent misleading, manipulated or out-of-context material from being disproportionately amplified or repeatedly recommended.
MeitY said the advisory was intended to encourage responsible dissemination and recommendation of information while respecting lawful expression and legitimate public discourse.
It advised Meta to ensure that any action taken in response complied with the Information Technology Act, the IT Rules and other applicable laws.
The company has been asked to take the necessary measures with immediate effect and inform the ministry about the action taken.
Digital Rights Group Calls for Withdrawal
Apar Gupta, founding director of the digital rights advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation, said the advisory was not legally binding but amounted to a “continuing censorship directive”.
Gupta called on MeitY to withdraw the advisory and urged Meta to publicly disclose every takedown and instance of downranking carried out in response to it.
He also questioned the legal basis of the advisory, arguing that phrases such as content presented “without adequate context” and references to periods of “heightened public-order sensitivity” were not tied to any specific provision of the Information Technology Act or the IT Rules.
