- MeitY asked Meta to review its recommendation and ranking systems in an advisory.
- The ministry flagged misleading videos, old visuals presented as current, and unverified claims about emergencies or police action.
- Meta has been asked to act immediately and report the steps it has taken, although the advisory does not specify a separate response deadline.
When the same video keeps appearing in a social media feed, it can be difficult to tell whether the content is gaining popularity organically or receiving an algorithmic boost. India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) wants Meta to examine that distinction, asking the company to review how its recommendation systems distribute content on Facebook and Instagram amid concerns over misleading information and public order.
In an advisory dated October 10, the ministry asked Meta to ensure greater diversity in the information recommended to users and strengthen the identification and review of material that could cause public confusion, incite violence, or disturb public order.
The company has been asked to implement the measures immediately and inform the ministry of the action taken. The advisory does not identify a specific incident that prompted the directive.
It comes amid protests in Delhi by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition parties seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. However, MeitY has not explicitly linked the protests to its advisory.
Why is India scrutinizing Meta's recommendation algorithms?
MeitY said it had observed content concerning ongoing public events being prominently displayed and recommended across Meta's platforms. This included videos, images, statements, and graphics relating to law-and-order and public-order situations.
The ministry's concern is not simply whether such material appears online, but how recommendation systems can give it greater visibility. Content circulated without sufficient context or amplified disproportionately, it warned, could contribute to public apprehension and disturb social tranquility.
MeitY has asked Meta to review its content-ranking and recommendation mechanisms to prevent potentially misleading, manipulated, or out-of-context material from being repeatedly recommended or receiving disproportionate amplification.
The advisory calls for particular attention to old or unrelated visuals presented as current events, selectively edited footage, unverified claims about emergencies or restrictions, and misleading assertions concerning police action or official measures.
It also flags audiovisual material relating to law-and-order situations that lacks adequate context, along with content that could incite violence or other unlawful activity.
The ministry wants photographs, videos, graphics, and other material depicting ongoing public events to carry adequate context, particularly where users may struggle to establish their authenticity, date, location, or circumstances. The aim is to help users distinguish current, verified information from material that may have been misrepresented or circulated misleadingly.
What does the advisory mean for Meta?
Another key request is stronger monitoring of content that gains significant reach through recommendation systems. MeitY wants mechanisms to identify, review, and escalate material that could trigger widespread confusion, apprehension, or public disorder.
This puts the spotlight on the role of platform algorithms in determining what users see, rather than on content moderation alone.
The advisory also asks Meta to cooperate promptly with law enforcement agencies and other authorized government bodies. Such cooperation, including the provision of information or assistance, must be in accordance with applicable law and the timelines prescribed under the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
MeitY has referred to the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the IT Rules, 2021, in setting out Meta's obligations as an intermediary. The rules require intermediaries to inform users about prohibited information, including material that could cause public disorder or incite a cognizable offense relating to public order.
The ministry has framed the advisory as an effort to encourage responsible dissemination and recommendation of information while respecting lawful expression and legitimate public discourse. It has also said that measures taken by Meta must comply with the IT Act, the IT Rules, and other applicable laws.
The advisory sets out six specific requests, including steps to identify and address prohibited content under the IT Rules and a review of recommendation and ranking systems to limit the amplification of misleading, manipulated, or context-free material.
Meta has been asked to act immediately and report the steps it has taken, although the advisory does not specify a separate deadline for that response.
The directive brings a familiar tension in digital regulation into sharper focus: platforms are expected to make space for public discussion, but their systems can also influence how quickly and widely information spreads.
For Meta, the task will be to address the government's concerns about amplification and context while operating within legal safeguards for legitimate expression.
Ultimately, the issue is not simply what appears in a user's feed, but why it appears there so often. MeitY's advisory puts that question directly to Meta, calling for a closer examination of how its algorithms shape the flow of information on two of the world's most widely used social media platforms.
