The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in an advisory issued on 10 October, cautioned Meta that its recommendation engines were skewing user exposure toward a narrow set of narratives during the Delhi protests over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The directive lists six measures, including providing contextual tags for images and videos of public events, tightening ranking algorithms to avoid amplified misinformation, and guaranteeing rapid escalation of potentially disorder‑spurring content.
Under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT Rules, 2021, Meta must flag content likely to incite violence or mislead users, and furnish law‑enforcement agencies with data within specified timeframes.
A spokesperson for the Internet Freedom Foundation said the advisory resembles a "continuing censorship directive" and called for transparent disclosure of any takedowns or down‑rankings it triggers.
Meta is expected to implement the changes immediately and submit a compliance report to MeitY by the end of December, according to the ministry’s own guidelines.
One Delhi protester, who declined to give a name, said the barrage of unverified videos on social media had fueled confusion and fear among residents in the capital’s crowded neighborhoods.