Meta apologizes for Mark Zuckerberg’s erroneous statement on India’s 2024 elections

Meta issues apology after Mark Zuckerberg’s controversial remark

Meta India has issued an apology for CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent statement suggesting that India’s incumbent government lost the 2024 elections due to its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Calling it an “inadvertent error,” the company sought to clarify the remarks and reaffirm its commitment to India.

Meta’s response

Shivnath Thukral, Meta India’s Vice President, addressed the issue in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on January 14. “Mark’s observation that many incumbent parties were not re-elected in 2024 elections holds true for several countries, BUT not India,” Thukral wrote. “We would like to apologize for this inadvertent error.”

He further emphasized India’s importance to Meta, stating, “India remains an incredibly important country for Meta. We look forward to being at the heart of its innovative future.”

Backlash and summons by Parliamentary committee

The apology follows backlash from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who chairs the parliamentary committee on communications and information technology. Dubey announced plans to summon Meta over the statement, citing misinformation. “Incorrect information tarnishes the image of any democratic country,” he said, demanding an apology from the company to the Indian Parliament and the people.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also criticized Zuckerberg’s remarks, labeling them factually incorrect and disappointing. He highlighted India’s democratic achievements in the 2024 elections, where over 640 million voters reaffirmed their trust in the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Zuckerberg’s remarks

Zuckerberg’s controversial statement came during a podcast in which he discussed global political trends post-Covid. He noted that public trust in governments had declined worldwide due to the pandemic, leading to electoral losses for many incumbent parties in 2024.

“It’s not just the US. I think a lot of people in the US focus on this as a kind of an American phenomenon, but I think the reaction to Covid probably caused a breakdown in trust in a lot of governments around the world,” Zuckerberg said. “2024 was a big election year, and all these countries, India, just like a ton of countries, had elections and the incumbents basically lost every single one.”

Zuckerberg attributed this trend to factors such as inflation, economic policies related to COVID-19, and general dissatisfaction with government responses to the pandemic.

Meta’s swift apology underscores the sensitivity of misinformation in a politically charged environment. As India remains a crucial market for Meta, the company’s commitment to addressing errors and fostering trust with its users and stakeholders is vital.

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