MeitY tells Meta to review Facebook, Instagram algorithms over misleading content

NEW DELHI: Meta’s algorithms are being asked to widen their horizons. The government has directed the owner of Facebook and Instagram to review how its platforms recommend content, warning against systems that disproportionately expose users to a narrow range of narratives or amplify misleading material that could disturb public order.

In an advisory dated 10 October, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) called for stronger safeguards against manipulated visuals, misleading claims and posts stripped of essential context. The directions also require faster identification and escalation of content that gains traction online and could trigger confusion, violence or unlawful activity, according to a Press Trust of India (PTI) report. 

The ministry has asked Meta to ensure that its recommendation and ranking systems do not repeatedly push misleading or out-of-context material to users. Instead, the platforms should endeavour to expose audiences to a wider range of relevant and credible information.

The advisory states that recommendation systems should not result in the “disproportionate exposure of users to a single or limited set of narratives”.

MeitY has raised concerns about photographs, videos, graphics and other material depicting ongoing public events, particularly when users cannot readily establish their authenticity, date, location or circumstances.

The ministry has urged Meta to pay particular attention to old or unrelated footage presented as current events, selectively edited visuals, unverified claims about emergencies and restrictions, and misleading accounts of police action or official measures.

Audio-visual content relating to law-and-order situations that lacks adequate context has also come under scrutiny. The advisory calls for stronger mechanisms to identify, review and escalate such material when recommendation systems give it significant reach.

The government’s concern is not limited to whether questionable content remains online. It also extends to how platform algorithms distribute it and whether repeated recommendations can magnify the material’s potential impact.

MeitY sources told PTI that agencies had reported concerns over an apparent imbalance in the narratives being promoted on Meta’s platforms, with algorithms seemingly favouring certain types of content over others.

Although the advisory does not identify a specific incident as the trigger, it comes amid protests in Delhi 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.

The timing places the government’s concerns over online information flows against a backdrop of politically charged public demonstrations. However, the ministry has not explicitly linked its directions to the protests.

MeitY has also instructed Meta to cooperate promptly with law enforcement agencies and other authorised government bodies. Any information or assistance must be provided in accordance with applicable laws and within the timelines prescribed under the Information Technology Rules, 2021.

The advisory cites the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the IT Rules, 2021, which require intermediaries to exercise due diligence and inform users about prohibited material. This includes information that could threaten public order or incite a cognisable offence relating to public order.

The ministry has outlined six requirements covering the identification and handling of prohibited content, contextualisation of public-event material, closer scrutiny of recommendation systems and stronger escalation procedures for potentially harmful posts.

Meta has been asked to implement the necessary measures with immediate effect and report the action taken to the ministry.

At the same time, MeitY has stressed that any steps taken in response must remain consistent with the IT Act, the 2021 rules and other applicable laws, while respecting lawful expression and legitimate public discourse.

The challenge for Meta is now twofold: to limit the algorithmic spread of misleading material without turning the moderation of contested public narratives into an indiscriminate filter on legitimate debate.