Centre Summons Meta Global Head, Instagram Chief Over IT Rules Non-Compliance
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Polity
Why in news
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology summoned Meta's global affairs president Joel Kaplan and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri after Meta allegedly restricted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Instagram video. The summons also addresses broader issues of synthetically generated content and non-compliance with IT rules.
Background
India's IT Rules, 2021 require social media platforms to comply with due diligence, content moderation, and grievance redressal norms. Meta has faced previous scrutiny over content takedowns and automated moderation errors.
Key facts
MeitY summoned Meta's global affairs president Joel Kaplan and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri.
Summons were sent via email because the Indian policy team failed to convey the seriousness of issues to the US team.
The immediate trigger was Meta allegedly restricting PM Modi's Instagram video addressing youth on NEET paper leak protests.
Meta stated the content was removed in error and restored, citing a glitch in automated content filters.
MeitY wants a larger conversation on synthetically generated content and non-compliance with IT rules.
The video was a message where PM Modi announced a bill for fast-track courts and stricter punishment for paper leak offenders.
Prelims pointers
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- IT Rules, 2021
- Synthetically generated content
- Automated content moderation
- Grievance redressal mechanism
Mains angles
- GS2: Government policies and interventions for digital governance and social media regulation.
- GS2: Issues relating to executive accountability and parliamentary oversight of digital platforms.
- GS3: Challenges of content moderation, algorithmic bias, and synthetic content in the digital ecosystem.