Mark Zuckerberg apologises to India over child abuse, deepfake content
New Delhi, Aug 5
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday apologised over the spread of child sexual abuse material, deepfake content and shortcomings in the operation of the company's platforms.
According to government sources, Zuckerberg acknowledged concerns raised by the government regarding the spread of objectionable and manipulated content and expressed regret over what were described as errors in the operation of the platform.
"Mark Zuckerberg sent his apologies for the CSAM content, deepfake content and errors in operating the platform," government sources said.
Sources further claimed that it was communicated to the company that its role in selecting and distributing content to users could place it outside the definition of a neutral intermediary under Indian law.
They said authorities made it clear that the "safe harbour" protections available under the Information Technology Act may not be applicable if a platform is found to be actively determining which content reaches users.
"It was made clear to them that they are not covered under Intermediary definition. They select who receives the content. Safe harbour under IT Act not applicable. They admitted that a lot of money was paid for boosting certain type of content. They apologised and regretted the mistake," the sources added.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, IT Ministry sources said that social media platforms, including Meta, must comply with the law of the land as a parliamentary panel asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to issue an "unqualified apology" within three days over the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post recently.
Meta stands to lose its "safe harbour protection" in India if it fails to do so in the stipulated deadline, the IT Ministry sources added earlier in the day.
A high-level Meta delegation met IT Secretary S. Krishnan in the national capital to discuss the erroneous takedown of the Prime Minister's video. They were also scheduled to meet Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The apology is welcome, but let's see if they actually change their algorithms and moderation policies. Actions speak louder than words, especially when children's safety is at stake. The CSAM content is absolutely unacceptable and should never have been allowed to spread.
Interesting to see how Meta handles different regulatory environments. India has every right to enforce its laws, especially regarding such serious issues. The "safe harbour" concept shouldn't be a shield for negligence. Curious to see if this sets a precedent globally.
I appreciate the government taking a firm stand. But I wish they'd also focus on the broader issue of deepfakes and misinformation, not just this specific incident. These platforms need to invest more in robust content moderation, especially for Indian languages. There's so much toxic content that goes unchecked.
Just an apology? Shouldn't there be consequences and stricter compliance mechanisms? These platforms have been repeatedly warned about such content. It's sad that it takes a high-profile incident for them to take things seriously. More regulatory oversight is needed, not just apologies.
As a parent, it's terrifying to know that such harmful content can be so easily accessible. I'm glad that our government is holding these tech giants accountable. The least they can do is ensure robust parental controls and stricter age-gating measures. This apology feels like too little, too late.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.