- Hyderabad Police filed FIR against Meta India head over AI-morphed videos.
- Police investigate manipulated Modi videos, platform safeguards, and content origin.
- Government seeks Meta’s detailed explanation for PM’s restricted Facebook post.
- These incidents highlight increasing government scrutiny over AI misinformation.
Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered an FIR against Meta India head Arun Srinivas and several operators of several Facebook and Instagram accounts over the circulation of AI-generated morphed videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The development comes as the Centre seeks fresh explanation from the company over the temporary restriction placed on one of the Prime Minister’s Facebook posts.
The case marks one of the highest-profile investigations involving a senior executive of a global technology company in India and comes amid increasing scrutiny of social media platforms over AI-generated misinformation.
FIR Registered Over AI-Generated Videos
The FIR relates to the circulation of manipulated videos of Prime Minister Modi on Meta-owned platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
Investigators suspect the content may have misled the public and are examining possible violations under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, India Today reported.
The Cyber Crime Police are investigating the origin of the AI-generated videos, how they were amplified across Meta platforms, and whether the company’s existing safeguards were sufficient to prevent their spread.
The probe will also examine the role of individuals accused of creating, uploading or sharing the manipulated content.
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Meta Earlier Summoned By Police
The FIR comes days after Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police summoned Meta representatives to explain the company’s systems for detecting and removing AI-generated scams, fake advertisements and other manipulated content.
A company representative reportedly appeared before investigators and briefed officials on Meta’s content moderation practices and compliance mechanisms, the report said.
Police said the investigation remains at a preliminary stage and that no conclusions have been reached. They added that any further action would depend on digital evidence collected during the probe.
Centre Seeks Detailed Clarification
Separately, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked senior Meta officials to appear before the government within the next seven to 10 days to explain the temporary restriction placed on one of Prime Minister Modi’s Facebook posts.
MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said the government is seeking both policy-level and technical explanations from the company.
“India intends to convey its concerns directly to Meta and obtain a comprehensive account of the circumstances that led to the brief restriction,” he said.
“Meta has already conveyed its regret over the incident and provided a preliminary explanation to the government. However, the Centre has sought a more detailed clarification, including the measures the company is putting in place to ensure such incidents do not recur,” Krishnan stated.
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Government Tightens Oversight
The government had summoned a senior Meta executive a day earlier after the Prime Minister’s Facebook post was temporarily restricted.
The post focused on India’s youth and reiterated the government’s commitment to taking strict action against paper leaks.
Although Meta attributed the restriction to a technical glitch and apologised for the incident, the Centre has said the explanation provided so far is insufficient and has sought a more comprehensive account of what led to the episode.
The twin developments underscore growing government scrutiny of social media intermediaries over AI-generated misinformation, content moderation practices and compliance with India’s digital regulations.
