India orders Meta to revamp recommendation algorithms

The Indian government has directed Meta to overhaul its content recommendation algorithms and submit a detailed compliance plan to curb the spread of deepfakes, propaganda, and other illegal content on its platforms. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the directive following a series of meetings with the company's global technical team held on August 5, 6, and 7.

Officials have asked Meta to make specific changes to its systems to limit the amplification of harmful content, rather than relying solely on removing individual posts after they have spread. The government seeks closer coordination with its own Quick Response Teams to accelerate the detection and takedown of manipulated media, including deepfake videos and morphed images. Authorities also reiterated requirements for Meta to comply with India's data localization rules and to act faster on content removal requests from authorized government agencies.

The discussions come amid heightened scrutiny of Meta's operations in India, triggered by several recent incidents. These include the temporary restriction of a Facebook post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in late July, which the company...