India moves to treat Meta as a service provider, not just an internet intermediary
Indian officials say Meta's paid algorithms mean the company must be classified as a service provider and bear greater liability for content on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.
Senior Indian officials told Meta it can no longer be treated merely as an internet intermediary because its algorithms actively select and charge for content promotion on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. Consequently, the company is expected to accept heightened duties for user-generated material, with no legal immunity, pending judicial review. The government has already warned Meta of further action and cited the need for stronger safeguards for women and children, including tighter controls on child sexual abuse material.
Meta India head Arun Srinivas was summoned again by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to explain CSAM policies, and the firm pledged to report offenders directly to the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre. Earlier, Meta’s chief of global affairs Joel Kaplan met with the IT Ministry after a Modi video was removed and Instagram faced accusations of CSAM-related ads.
Why it matters
The reclassification could force Meta to police content more strictly, affecting millions of Indian users and setting a precedent for other platforms.
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