Calls for legal action against Meta have intensified as the Indian government continued its third consecutive day of discussions with the social media giant over compliance with Indian laws. The meetings have focused on concerns surrounding WhatsApp’s username policy, the alleged presence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on Instagram, and the company’s adherence to India’s Information Technology regulations. Cyber law expert Pavan Duggal has argued that if investigations have already established violations of Indian law, the government should move beyond discussions and initiate legal proceedings.
According to government sources, senior Meta executives held multiple rounds of meetings with officials. The company’s delegation was led by Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan, while Meta’s technical team is expected to remain in India for further consultations. Officials reviewed the company’s understanding of India’s IT regulations, its compliance mechanisms, and the technology it employs to detect and remove harmful online content.
Sources said the government reiterated that all global technology companies operating in India must fully comply with Indian laws and regulatory requirements. It was also indicated that Meta expressed regret over some of the concerns raised during the discussions. However, the government has not issued any formal public statement regarding the outcome of the meetings.
Cyber law expert Pavan Duggal said that if legal violations have already been established, continuing discussions alone sends the wrong message. According to him, effective enforcement of the law requires timely legal action against entities found to have violated statutory provisions. He maintained that the responsibility now rests with the government to proceed in accordance with the law.
Duggal suggested that if sufficient evidence is available, authorities should consider criminal prosecution of Meta’s senior management in India under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He also pointed out that the Information Technology Act provides for financial penalties in cases involving data security violations, with compensation that may be imposed separately for each proven contravention.
Referring to legal action taken against Meta in the United States over child safety concerns, Duggal said that India’s existing legal framework also permits criminal prosecution in appropriate cases. He added that once the Digital Personal Data Protection Act becomes fully operational, the government’s ability to impose stronger financial penalties for future data protection violations will be significantly enhanced.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that compliance with Indian laws is not merely a regulatory obligation for global digital platforms but a fundamental responsibility towards user safety. According to him, if investigations reveal negligence relating to child sexual abuse material, serious cybercrime, or other unlawful activities on any platform, law enforcement agencies should conduct an impartial investigation and initiate appropriate legal action based on available evidence. He stressed that robust compliance mechanisms and swift content moderation are essential to maintaining public trust in the digital ecosystem.
The ongoing engagement between the government and Meta is being closely watched by industry stakeholders and digital policy experts. Officials are expected to review the company’s compliance measures in detail before deciding on any further course of action. The developments are also being viewed as a significant signal to global technology companies operating in India that the government may adopt a stricter enforcement approach toward legal compliance and online safety standards in the future.
