'Can't run in India as per US law': Govt-Meta talks focus on algorithms, compliance

The Meta row continued on Thursday as the company’s global team held further discussions with the government over compliance with Indian laws, a day after the company apologised for briefly removing a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Meta’s global team is expected to remain in India for another three to four days, with more meetings planned with government officials, PTI sources said with the discussions also expected to cover WhatsApp issues.The government is seeking details on Meta’s algorithms, content moderation, compliance mechanisms, checks and balances and safeguards, including the systems used to tackle child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and deepfake content.“Platforms can't be run in India as per US law. These are technical matters; every aspect is to be understood,” government sources told ANI, adding “All platforms have a responsibility towards society and the law, like all institutions.”IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is also scheduled to meet Meta’s global team on Thursday, while ministry officials will continue discussions with the company’s technical teams.“Meta has already given a public statement; technical details to be discussed today, along with logs,” sources said, adding that the government is in regular talks with other major platforms, including X and Telegram.The fresh discussions come a day after Meta officials apologised to the government over the brief removal of PM Modi’s video from Facebook. Joel Kaplan, Meta’s chief global affairs officer, said he had apologised to Vaishnaw “on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi’s post”. The government had also raised concerns over CSAM, deepfake content and Meta’s content moderation systems.The government has further questioned Meta’s compliance with Indian laws and its eligibility for safe-harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, which provides intermediaries protection from liability for third-party content subject to certain conditions.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.