Zuckerberg Apologises Over Child Abuse Ads; Meta Admits Paying To Boost Certain Content
Meta faces scrutiny over ads and content promotion.
Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has apologised for the presence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfake content and other shortcomings in the operation of the company's platforms, according to an NDTV Profit report. The apology came during discussions with officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), who raised concerns over content moderation and the responsibilities of social media platforms.
According to the report, MeitY officials informed Meta that social media platforms cannot be treated as intermediaries under the Information Technology Act in the same manner as neutral service providers because they actively determine how content is distributed to users through algorithms and recommendation systems. Officials reportedly stated that the "safe harbour" protections available under the IT Act would therefore not apply to Meta in the manner claimed by the company.
The discussions also focused on the spread of child sexual abuse material and AI-generated deepfake content across online platforms. According to the report, Zuckerberg acknowledged the company's mistakes in operating its services and expressed regret over the proliferation of such harmful content, while reiterating Meta's commitment to improving its systems for detecting and removing illegal material.
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Meta also reportedly acknowledged that significant sums had been spent to boost certain categories of content on its platforms. According to NDTV Profit, the company admitted that money had been used to promote specific types of content, though further details regarding the nature of the content or the expenditure were not disclosed in the report.
The developments come amid increasing scrutiny of major technology companies in India over content moderation, algorithmic recommendations and user safety. The government has repeatedly emphasised that digital platforms must strengthen safeguards against illegal and harmful content while ensuring compliance with Indian laws. Meta has not publicly released a detailed statement beyond the reported discussions.
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