Meta social media platforms told to act on edited visuals, misleading claims amid SIR protests — What Govt advisory says

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in an advisory dated October 10, asked Meta to provide adequate context for photographs, videos, graphics and other content depicting ongoing public events.

The government has asked Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, to review its content recommendation systems to prevent users from being disproportionately exposed to a single or limited set of narratives and strengthen checks on material that could cause public disorder or incite violence, PTI reported.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in an advisory dated October 10, asked Meta to provide adequate context for photographs, videos, graphics and other content depicting ongoing public events, particularly when their authenticity, date, location or circumstances may not be readily apparent to users, the news agency stated.

According to the news outlet, the ministry has also asked Meta to review its recommendation and content-ranking mechanisms to prevent potentially misleading, manipulated or out-of-context material from being disproportionately amplified or repeatedly recommended to users.

MeitY flags possible algorithmic bias

The advisory calls on Meta to ensure that its recommendation systems do not expose users disproportionately to a single or limited set of narratives and to endeavour to provide a diversity of relevant and credible information.

The ministry has also sought stronger mechanisms for the rapid identification, review and escalation of content that gains significant reach through recommendation systems and could trigger public confusion, apprehension, violence or disturbances of public order.

IT Ministry sources said, as per PTI, the ministry had received reports from agencies suggesting that Meta's platforms were not promoting all narratives equally, with their algorithms appearing to favour one kind of content over others.

The ministry reportedly said it had observed that certain content relating to ongoing public events was being prominently displayed and recommended to users on Meta-operated platforms. Such material included videos, images, statements and static graphics concerning public-order and law-and-order situations.

According to the advisory, content displayed without adequate context or amplified disproportionately could contribute to public confusion, apprehension and disturbances of public order and social tranquillity.

Old videos, misleading claims under scrutiny

MeitY has asked Meta to pay particular attention to content that presents old, unrelated or selectively edited visuals as current events. It has also flagged unverified or misleading claims concerning emergencies, restrictions, police action and other official measures.

The advisory further identifies audio-visual material relating to law-and-order situations that lacks adequate context, content likely to incite violence or other unlawful activity, and potentially misleading material that is amplified disproportionately.

The ministry said Meta, as an intermediary, must exercise due diligence under the Information Technology Rules, 2021.

These rules require intermediaries to inform users about prohibited information, including content that could cause public disorder or incite a cognisable offence relating to public order.

The advisory outlined six specific requests to Meta, including measures to identify and address content under the IT Rules and a review of recommendation and ranking systems to prevent misleading, manipulated or out-of-context material from being disproportionately amplified.

Meta asked to cooperate

The ministry has also advised Meta to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and other authorised government bodies in a timely manner.

It advised Meta to implement the necessary measures with immediate effect and inform the ministry about the action taken.

The ministry also said any action taken in response to the advisory must comply with the Information Technology Act, the IT Rules and other applicable laws.

Digital rights group raises censorship concerns

Apar Gupta, founder-director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital rights advocacy group, criticised the advisory, arguing that although it was not legally binding, it amounted to a continuing censorship directive.

According to PTI, Gupta called on MeitY to withdraw the advisory and urged Meta to publicly disclose every takedown and instance of content downranking carried out in response to it.

He argued that the advisory's references to content being shown "without adequate context" and periods of "heightened public-order sensitivity" were not tied to any provision of the Information Technology Act or the IT Rules.