Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have registered a case against Meta India head Arun Srinivas and several social media accounts over alleged AI-generated and morphed content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the CJP protests.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have registered cases against Meta India head Arun Srinivas and several Facebook and Instagram accounts over the alleged circulation of morphed, AI-generated, and objectionable content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) student protests.
The action comes following complaints alleging that manipulated videos and images of the Prime Minister were widely shared on social media platforms, accompanied by abusive and derogatory comments.
Complaints Allege AI-Generated Content
According to the complaints, users encountered multiple digitally altered videos and images of PM Modi while browsing Instagram. The complainants alleged that the content was misleading, obscene, and designed to spread misinformation.
The complaints further stated that the posts had the potential to:
- Spread misinformation.
- Incite public unrest.
- Defame public figures.
- Promote hostility among different groups.
- Disturb public order.
The complaints were filed by S. Aravind Reddy, a businessman, and T. Saikiran Goud, a BJP activist from Telangana.
Meta Assures Government of Stronger Safeguards
The development comes days after Meta faced criticism over the temporary blocking of a video posted from the Prime Minister’s official Facebook account.
Following discussions with the government, Meta reportedly assured authorities that it has introduced additional safeguards for content related to the Prime Minister’s official accounts.
According to sources, decisions involving prominent government accounts will now undergo enhanced review by senior Meta officials before any moderation action is taken.
Government and Meta to Hold Further Talks
Meta representatives are expected to meet officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to discuss content moderation policies, platform accountability, and safeguards for high-profile public accounts.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police have also issued notices to several social media accounts and online platforms over allegedly abusive posts related to the student protests and the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march, directing platforms to remove objectionable content targeting the Prime Minister.
The investigation by Hyderabad Cybercrime Police is ongoing, and authorities are examining the origin of the allegedly manipulated content as well as the role of the accounts involved in its circulation.
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