Meta's global leadership team will remain in India to have a fresh round of discussions with the Central Government and continue to monitor whether the company's platforms, including WhatsApp, are in full compliance with Indian laws.
According to government sources, representatives from Meta recently met Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw. They said the meeting is one of the first in a series of consultations, with three to four others scheduled over the coming days.
The conversations are centered around regulatory compliance, data governance, platform accountability, and the Indian legal framework, sources said. Meta's products and services will be examined by officials to see whether they are in compliance with Indian laws and regulations.
The government said, "platforms can't be run in India as per US law," and that all digital platforms operating in the country must comply with Indian laws irrespective of where their parent companies are based.
As part of the ongoing engagement, officials also expect to review technical documentation and system logs to better understand Meta’s compliance with legal obligations in India. This review would likely include grievance redressal, cooperation with law enforcement agencies, intermediary responsibilities, and operational processes under India’s digital regulatory framework.
These are conversations that are coming as big tech companies worldwide face increasing scrutiny over their responsibility as guardians of user safety, content moderation, privacy, and legal compliance. Digital platforms are increasingly under scrutiny when it comes to misinformation, online harm, cybersecurity, and data protection as governments look for digital platforms to be held accountable.
India has always maintained that technology companies operating within its jurisdiction must respect domestic laws and cooperate with lawful requests made by competent authorities. And the government has said that innovation and digital growth are encouraged, but compliance with Indian legal requirements is non-negotiable.
Meta has also stated that it will honor local laws and user privacy and security at all times, and will work with Indian authorities for regulatory and policy as well.
The next round of meetings will also have the chance for both sides to talk and understand the regulatory requirements, technical problems, and discuss any concerns on platform operations in India. These are all things the government and the company would like to do to support the engagement and not just a single issue, they said.
No official statement about the first meeting has been released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology or Meta. Similarly, the agenda for the upcoming meetings has not been made public.
The regular consultations are indicative of this government’s continued focus on making sure that global technology companies are transparent, accountable, and comply with India’s legal frameworks and regulations. We expect there to be more developments after the remaining meetings are completed and both sides have been able to have their discussions with each other.
