Social media giant Meta has been asked to submit a detailed compliance roadmap to revamp its algorithms in order to tackle the spread of deepfakes, propaganda and other manipulated or illegal content across its platforms.The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also asked the company to strengthen its content moderation, speed up takedowns based on requests from authorised agencies and ensure compliance with India’s data-localisation requirements.The government wants Meta to work more closely with authorities to improve the detection and removal of deepfakes, morphed images and misleading posts, officials said. The directive follows recent discussions between MeitY and Meta amid increasing scrutiny of social media platforms over harmful artificial intelligence (AI)-generated and manipulated content. The government has also been increasing the scrutiny of Meta over its handling of harmful content. In recent weeks, officials have sought explanations from the company over various issues, including “algorithmic functioning, algorithmic bias and role in maintaining public order”.Separately, the Centre has been pushing platforms for faster compliance with government takedown directions and proactive identification of harmful or illegal content.The latest directions were issued during a meeting between senior government officials and Meta representatives. The government has asked Meta to establish close coordination with quick response teams (QRTs) across various departments of the government to facilitate faster detection and takedown of deepfake videos, morphed images and other misleading content. The move is aimed at improving real-time responses to online misinformation and preventing the rapid circulation of harmful material.They said the discussions focused on strengthening platform accountability and enhancing cooperation between Meta and government agencies as concerns grow over the misuse of artificial intelligence to create deceptive content.The government is also understood to have emphasised that social media platforms must proactively deploy technological safeguards to prevent the spread of manipulated content while ensuring timely compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The two sides are expected to continue discussions, with another meeting likely to be held next week, reports claimed.MeitY’s framework requires significant social media intermediaries to take technical measures around synthetically generated information, including user declarations and clear labelling of such content.