New Delhi: Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has apologised to the Indian government over the company's failures in tackling harmful content on its platforms, including child sexual abuse material, deepfake content and other operational shortcomings. The apology comes as governments around the world continue to demand stronger action from technology companies to protect users from illegal and harmful online content.
According to reports, Zuckerberg acknowledged that Meta had not done enough to prevent the spread of child sexual abuse material and artificial intelligence generated deepfake content across its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. He admitted that mistakes had been made and said the company remains committed to strengthening its safety systems, improving content moderation and investing in better technology to detect harmful material before it reaches users.
The apology carries particular significance because India is Meta's largest market in terms of users. With hundreds of millions of people using Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp every month, the country has become one of the company's most important markets. At the same time, India has been tightening regulations governing digital platforms and has repeatedly called on technology companies to take greater responsibility for content shared on their services.
The issue of online safety has become even more urgent with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. Deepfake videos and images have become increasingly realistic and are now being used to spread misinformation, commit financial fraud, harass individuals and damage reputations. Governments across the world have expressed concern that existing moderation systems are struggling to keep pace with the rapid development of AI technology.
Child protection has also become a major focus for regulators. Law enforcement agencies and child safety organisations have continued to raise concerns about the circulation of child sexual abuse material on online platforms. Technology companies have been urged to strengthen detection systems, work more closely with authorities and remove illegal content more quickly.
Meta says it has invested billions of dollars in safety and security over the years. The company uses artificial intelligence to identify harmful content before users report it and works with child protection organisations and law enforcement agencies around the world. It has also introduced tools to identify manipulated images and videos and has expanded its efforts to label AI generated content.
Despite these investments, Meta continues to face criticism from governments and advocacy groups, who argue that harmful content still appears on its platforms in significant numbers. Critics say technology companies need to devote more resources to human moderation while improving automated systems that can identify dangerous material before it spreads widely.
The latest apology follows similar remarks Zuckerberg made during a United States Senate hearing on online child safety in early 2024. During that hearing, he apologised directly to families whose children had been harmed through online exploitation and acknowledged the pain experienced by victims. The hearing brought together leaders of several major technology companies as lawmakers examined the role of social media platforms in protecting children online.
The renewed apology to the Indian government reflects the increasing pressure Meta faces from regulators across different countries. Authorities are demanding stronger safeguards against illegal content, greater transparency in moderation practices and faster responses to complaints involving harmful material. Many governments are also developing new laws aimed at ensuring technology companies remain accountable for the content hosted on their platforms.
Industry experts say the challenge has become more complex as artificial intelligence allows fake images, videos and audio recordings to be created more easily than ever before. While AI also helps companies detect harmful content, criminals are increasingly using the same technology to produce convincing fake material that is difficult to identify.
For Meta, maintaining trust with governments and users has become a key priority. The company says it will continue improving its moderation systems, expanding cooperation with child safety organisations and investing in new technologies to combat online abuse and deepfake content. Whether these measures will satisfy regulators remains to be seen, but the latest apology underlines the growing expectation that social media companies must play a more active role in protecting users and ensuring safer digital platforms.