Centre asks Meta to review Facebook and Instagram recommendation algorithms
Hyderabad: The Centre has directed Meta to review its Meta recommendation algorithms on Facebook and Instagram to ensure users receive diverse, relevant and reliable information. The government also asked the company to prevent its platforms from repeatedly showing similar content or a narrow range of opinions.
According to media reports, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued an advisory to Meta. The ministry expressed concern over how social media algorithms can rapidly spread news reports, videos and other content.
The government asked Meta to strengthen systems that identify potentially misleading material linked to confusion, violence or law-and-order problems. It also directed the company to improve processes for reviewing such content and alerting the relevant authorities when necessary.
Meta recommendation algorithms face scrutiny over misleading videos
The Centre asked Meta to implement the directions immediately and report the measures it had taken. In particular, it called for greater scrutiny of photographs, videos and graphics linked to ongoing events.
When the time, location or authenticity of such material remains unclear, the government said Meta should provide additional context. It also highlighted the risk of older footage or images from unrelated incidents appearing to show current events.
Furthermore, the advisory addressed selectively edited videos and unverified claims about emergencies or police action. The government urged Meta to provide further information to prevent users from being misled by such posts.
The latest directions came as the Centre increased its scrutiny of Meta’s operations. In August this year, government officials questioned company representatives about content recommendation systems, deepfakes and AI-generated fake material. They also sought details of measures to restrict illegal content.
Meanwhile, Meta has tightened its safety measures against child sexual exploitation content. The company said it removed 5.3 million such content items in India between January and June 2026. It reported that its systems detected more than 98 per cent of them proactively.
Meta also said it had introduced new AI-based systems to review advertisements. The government’s latest advisory focused on recommendation algorithms, misleading media and the need to provide users with accurate context.