The government’s firm messaging to Meta has translated into visible corrective steps and sharper vigilance around child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its platforms, according to IT Ministry sources, who said that the Ministry of Electronics & IT(MeitY) had left no room for ambiguity that such content is unlawful and not protected by a safe harbour cover.
Sources said the government’s approach is not aimed at censorship or restricting any category of coverage, but at ensuring platforms operate within Indian law and that any from social media use is kept in check.
They added Meta’s technical teams have briefed the ministry on how their content-recommendation algorithms function, describing the ongoing engagement as involving continuous ‘judgment calls and tweaks’ rather than a one-time fix.
An IT Ministry official further said that Meta has displayed increased sensitivity and caution on CSAM and also some action, describing the response as “important and significant”. The government had made it clear to Meta that CSAM violates Indian law and that no safe-harbour protection is available for content that violates the law in such a manner, sources said.
Moreover, on repeatedly appearing flagged content they said Meta has indicated it is strengthening its internal filtering systems and expanding India-focused content moderation capacity with greater sensitivity to local cultural context. However, MeitY has stopped short of declaring satisfaction with the response so far, saying the ministry intends to keep monitoring outcomes on the ground rather than take assurances at face value.
Sources explained that the safe harbour “removal” per se is not done by an act of government, but in the court of law. Any violation of Section 67 of IT Act can lead to prosecution.
On differences relating to the WhatsApp username, sources said the matter is under examination as it doesn’t involve just that particular platform, but other messaging apps as well. WhatsApp’s proposed username feature, which would allow users to communicate without sharing phone numbers, was under the radar over concerns it could increase risks of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation.
There is no rollout timeline yet, as the ministry is examining the issue in the context of messaging platforms more broadly than WhatsApp alone. On labelling of AI-generated content, people familiar of the matter said that the obligation runs across three levels — the individual posting synthetic content, the AI tool or computer resource used to generate it, and, failing both, the intermediary hosting it.
Ministry sources added that concerns over social media harm, ranging from CSAM to addictive design and unchecked gaming content are not unique to India, citing similar debates under way in Australia, the UK and France, and said platforms bear responsibility for striking the right balance between the benefits and harms of their services.