Govt Urges Meta to Review Facebook and Instagram Algorithms

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked technology giant Meta to review the content recommendation and ranking systems that power Facebook and Instagram. The move increases regulatory scrutiny of how social media algorithms amplify information in India, according to multiple reports.
In an advisory to Meta, the ministry asked the company to ensure that its recommendation systems do not expose users disproportionately to a single narrative or a limited range of viewpoints. Instead, MeitY urged Meta to give users greater access to diverse, relevant and credible information, according to the reports.
The ministry also directed Meta to strengthen its systems for quickly identifying, reviewing and escalating content that gains significant reach through recommendations. It wants the company to pay particular attention to material that could create public confusion, trigger violence or disrupt public order.
MeitY also asked the US-based company to implement the measures immediately and inform the government about the steps it takes.
The advisory specifically highlights photographs, videos and graphics related to ongoing public events when users cannot easily verify their authenticity, timing, location or surrounding circumstances.
It calls on Meta to provide additional context when users present old or unrelated visuals as current events, selectively edit footage or circulate unverified claims about emergencies, police action or other official measures.
This latest advisory marks another step in the government’s scrutiny of Meta’s content moderation and recommendation systems.
In August, government officials questioned Meta executives about content recommendation algorithms, deepfakes, synthetic media and safeguards against unlawful content.
Meta has also strengthened its content moderation and advertising safeguards following concerns about child sexual exploitation material.
Earlier this month, the company said it had deployed new AI-driven advertising review systems and removed 5.3 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content in India between January and June 2026. Meta also reported that its systems detected more than 98% of this content proactively.
