Global social media giant Meta issued an apology to India on Wednesday for remarks made by its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, regarding Lok Sabha elections. The apology followed a Parliamentary panel’s decision to summon Meta representatives to address the issue.
Controversy erupted after Zuckerberg, during an episode of the Joe Rogan Podcast, suggested that the Covid-19 pandemic had caused a "breakdown and trust in a lot of governments" and that in many countries, including India, incumbents had "basically lost every single one of them."
Meta clarified that while Zuckerberg's comments reflected the situation in some countries, they were not accurate for India. Shivnath Thakural, Director of Public Policy at Meta India, apologised for the CEO’s "inadvertent error" in a post on X.
"Mark's observation that many incumbent parties were not re-elected in 2024 elections holds true for several countries, BUT not India. We would like to apologise for this inadvertent error," Thakural wrote. He added, "India remains an incredibly important country for Meta and we look forward to being at the heart of its innovative future."
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also criticised Zuckerberg's remarks, calling them "disappointing" and highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third-term victory as a "testament to good governance and public trust."
"From free food for 800 million, 2.2 billion free vaccines, and aid to nations worldwide during COVID, to leading India as the fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi’s decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust," Vaishnaw stated.
Nishikant Dubey, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, had demanded an apology from Zuckerberg and announced plans to summon Meta representatives between January 20 and 24.
"My committee will call Meta for this wrong information. Wrong information in any democratic country tarnishes the image of the country. That organisation will have to apologise to the Indian Parliament and the people here for this mistake," Dubey wrote in a post on X.
Dubey later described Meta’s apology as a triumph for Indian citizens, underscoring the importance of accountability in maintaining India’s democratic image.
Also Read: Meta Officials To Be Summoned After Zuckerberg's Remarks Against India
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Meta Apologises For Zuckerberg's Comments On Indian Elections
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also criticised Zuckerberg's remarks, calling them "disappointing" and highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third-term victory as a "testament to good governance and public trust."
Global social media giant Meta issued an apology to India on Wednesday for remarks made by its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, regarding Lok Sabha elections. The apology followed a Parliamentary panel’s decision to summon Meta representatives to address the issue.
Controversy erupted after Zuckerberg, during an episode of the Joe Rogan Podcast, suggested that the Covid-19 pandemic had caused a "breakdown and trust in a lot of governments" and that in many countries, including India, incumbents had "basically lost every single one of them."
Meta clarified that while Zuckerberg's comments reflected the situation in some countries, they were not accurate for India. Shivnath Thakural, Director of Public Policy at Meta India, apologised for the CEO’s "inadvertent error" in a post on X.
"Mark's observation that many incumbent parties were not re-elected in 2024 elections holds true for several countries, BUT not India. We would like to apologise for this inadvertent error," Thakural wrote. He added, "India remains an incredibly important country for Meta and we look forward to being at the heart of its innovative future."
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also criticised Zuckerberg's remarks, calling them "disappointing" and highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third-term victory as a "testament to good governance and public trust."
"From free food for 800 million, 2.2 billion free vaccines, and aid to nations worldwide during COVID, to leading India as the fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi’s decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust," Vaishnaw stated.
Nishikant Dubey, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, had demanded an apology from Zuckerberg and announced plans to summon Meta representatives between January 20 and 24.
"My committee will call Meta for this wrong information. Wrong information in any democratic country tarnishes the image of the country. That organisation will have to apologise to the Indian Parliament and the people here for this mistake," Dubey wrote in a post on X.
Dubey later described Meta’s apology as a triumph for Indian citizens, underscoring the importance of accountability in maintaining India’s democratic image.
Also Read: Meta Officials To Be Summoned After Zuckerberg's Remarks Against India