Meta more cautious on CSAM as India widens scrutiny to AI, WhatsApp usernames

New Delhi: The government saw increased sensitivity from Meta towards child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and other unlawful content following a series of discussions with the technology company's officials, even as scrutiny continued over content moderation, artificial intelligence and messaging features. Government sources said Meta appeared more cautious in dealing with CSAM-related content and was working on measures to prevent unlawful material from remaining or circulating on its platforms. The Centre, however, made it clear that safe harbour protection under the intermediary framework could not be treated as a blanket shield in cases involving CSAM-related violations. Recent discussions between MeitY and Meta focused heavily on child safety, synthetic content and the platform's moderation systems. Officials also maintained that every step taken by the government so far relied on powers available under the existing legal and statutory framework. No action outside that framework was taken, sources said. India wants greater local context in Meta moderation A key concern raised during the discussions involved the way global content moderation systems dealt with Indian users. Government sources said moderation teams required greater sensitivity towards India's linguistic diversity and cultural context instead of relying primarily on globally designed standards. The concern was particularly relevant when automated systems took decisions on content without adequately understanding the language, context or cultural meaning behind a post. The government earlier pressed Meta for greater human oversight and stronger understanding of Indian languages while moderating sensitive content. Sources said the government's intention was not to censor or suppress lawful content. The objective was to ensure that social media platforms did not create situations that could adversely affect India's social fabric. They also pointed out that debates over platform regulation, harmful content and accountability were not unique to India, with similar concerns emerging in Western liberal democracies. At the same time, officials stressed that cultural and legal contexts differed across countries and that constitutionally permitted reasonable restrictions on free speech remained applicable in India. WhatsApp usernames examined across messaging industry The proposed WhatsApp username feature also remained under examination, but officials indicated that the government was treating it as an industry-wide issue rather than one concerning Meta alone. The Centre earlier raised concerns that allowing people to communicate through usernames instead of visible phone numbers could create additional risks around impersonation, fraud and cybercrime. Similar username-based systems existed on other messaging platforms, making a wider regulatory assessment necessary. Government sources said the issue would therefore be examined across messaging services instead of through a company-specific approach. AI-generated content must be clearly labelled The government also reiterated its position that synthetically generated or AI-generated content should carry clear labels so users could distinguish manipulated or artificial material from authentic content. Officials framed the requirement as a user's "right to know" whether the material being viewed was synthetic or genuine. India's amended IT Rules introduced specific due-diligence requirements for synthetically generated information, including identification and labelling obligations for such content. Government sources said engagement with Meta and other platforms would continue, with authorities monitoring whether concerns around unlawful material, artificial content, moderation and new messaging features were being adequately addressed.