Case Against Meta India Head Over Morphed Content Targeting PM Modi Duri…

Telangana Cyber Crime Police Register FIRs Against Meta India Head Arun Srinivas

Telangana Cyber Crime Police have registered two FIRs against Meta India’s head, Arun Srinivas, and operators of multiple Facebook and Instagram accounts over the alleged circulation of morphed, objectionable, and misleading content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest.

According to the complaints, the targeted material featured digitally altered or AI-generated pictures, videos, and reels accompanied by offensive language, ridicule, and indecent remarks directed at the Prime Minister and other individuals depicted. The filings assert that the content has the potential to mislead the public, spread misinformation, incite hatred or public unrest, outrage public decency, defame or insult the dignity of public figures, disturb public order, and promote hostility among different sections of society.

Complainants and Official Investigation Details

The cases were registered following complaints filed by S. Aravind Reddy, a businessman, and T. Saikiran Goud, a 32-year-old Telangana BJP activist and social media C.C. Member residing in Nampally, Hyderabad. The cases were registered in Telangana, where the Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is in power.

According to the complaints, around 20 Facebook and Instagram accounts had allegedly posted morphed, obscene, derogatory, and misleading content targeting the Prime Minister during the recent protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party, where placards containing derogatory remarks against PM Modi were also seen. Inspector P. Jayashankar of the Cyber Crime Police Station is handling the case.

The complainants requested the police to secure all electronic evidence related to the social media posts, identify the individuals behind the accounts, and seek information from Meta Platforms, Inc. The complaints also urged authorities to prosecute those responsible if the investigation disclosed any cognisable offence and called for action against Meta, alleging that the company had failed to promptly remove the objectionable content from its platforms. No arrests have been reported so far, and Meta had not issued any official statement on the development at the time of publication.

Wider Scrutiny and Previous Incidents Involving Meta

The development comes at a time when Meta is facing increased scrutiny from the Union government. Last week, the Centre summoned the company's senior executives after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video message was briefly blocked on Facebook before being restored.

The video had initially been uploaded on Instagram and was later shared on Facebook. It became temporarily inaccessible on Facebook, with Meta subsequently stating that the restriction was the result of an inadvertent error. Confirming that the government had sought an explanation, Electronics and Information Technology Secretary S. Krishnan said the company had been asked to explain the circumstances that led to the incident. According to him, Meta has informed the government that it has introduced additional safeguards for accounts belonging to prominent public figures to avoid similar occurrences.

The video, uploaded on July 23, marked Prime Minister Modi's first public remarks on the nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak, which forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as the Education Minister.