- Facebook briefly restricted PM Modi’s video, then cited error.
- Incident highlights social media content scrutiny amid CJP protests.
- MeitY previously questioned Meta over child sexual abuse material ads.
- Meta asserts zero tolerance, uses AI against child abuse.
Meta-owned social media platform Facebook temporarily restricted the first video uploaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in India, showing a message that the content was restricted in compliance with a legal request.
According to the information available with ABP News, when users clicked on the “See Why” option at around 1:25 am, Facebook displayed a notice stating that the video had been restricted following a legal request.
However, Meta later clarified that the restriction was not intentional. In a response to ABP News, the company said the Prime Minister’s video had been removed by mistake and that the issue had been corrected.
The video was subsequently restored on the platform.
The development comes amid heightened attention around social media content related to the ongoing CJP protests, which have seen political reactions and discussions over issues including examination irregularities and student concerns.
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MeitY Seeks Explanation From Meta Over Instagram Ads
The incident comes just weeks Meta faced scrutiny from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) over advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on Instagram.
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw directed the ministry to summon Meta officials to seek an explanation on how such advertisements appeared on the platform and what safeguards were in place to prevent the circulation of such content.
The ministry sought details about Meta’s advertisement review processes, content moderation systems and steps taken to identify and remove harmful material.
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Meta Cites AI Tools To Combat Harmful Content
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, said it follows a zero-tolerance policy towards the solicitation or sharing of child sexual abuse material, including through advertisements.
In a statement, a Meta spokesperson said the company uses artificial intelligence-based tools to proactively detect and remove violating content while continuously strengthening its safeguards against offenders.
“Meta has a zero tolerance policy for soliciting or sharing CSAM, including in ads. We use advanced AI technology to proactively detect violating content and individuals, but we are in a constant battle with criminals who hide among our 3.5 billion users and try to evade our detection,” the spokesperson said.
The company added that its teams are working on improving detection systems, identifying offenders, blocking links to abusive content and sharing intelligence with other technology companies to strengthen action against harmful material.
