India Tells Meta to Fix Its Feeds: Don't Trap Users in One Narrative

Facebook and Instagram app icons on a phone screen

India's government has told Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, to stop its algorithms from trapping users inside a single narrative — one of the strongest moves yet by New Delhi to police how social media feeds are shaped. In an advisory dated October 10, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered Meta to review its recommendation and ranking systems so users are not exposed to "disproportionate exposure of a single or limited set of narratives."

The advisory lists six requirements: review content-ranking mechanisms, add adequate context to photos, videos, and graphics of ongoing public events where the date, location, or authenticity may be unclear, build systems for rapid identification and escalation of viral content that could cause public confusion or disorder, label synthetically generated content tied to live events, and cooperate promptly with law enforcement under the timelines of the IT Rules, 2021. Although the notice does not name a specific incident, it comes amid protests in Delhi over the electoral roll revision, and ministry sources told the Press Trust of India that agency reports showed Meta's algorithms appeared to favour one kind of content over others.

The order takes effect immediately, and Meta must report back on the steps it takes. Digital rights advocates have criticized the move: Apar Gupta of the Internet Freedom Foundation called it a "continuing censorship directive," warning that vague terms like "adequate context" could lead to opaque censorship. The development could reshape what millions of Indians see on Instagram and Facebook, and may push Meta to hire more safety and policy staff in the country.

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