Meta India has issued a public apology after Mark Zuckerberg’s remark about India’s 2024 elections sparked controversy. The comment, which incorrectly suggested that India’s incumbent government lost power in the 2024 elections, was described by Meta India as an “inadvertent error.”
Meta’s Apology
Shivnath Thukral, Vice President of Meta India, took to Twitter to clarify the situation and apologise. “Mark Zuckerberg’s observation that many incumbent parties were not re-elected in the 2024 elections holds true for several countries, BUT not India. We would like to apologise for this inadvertent error. India remains an incredibly important country for Meta, and we look forward to being at the heart of its innovative future,” Thukral tweeted in response to a post by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Political Reactions and Summons
The apology came just a day after Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP and head of the parliamentary panel on IT, announced that the panel would summon Meta officials to address Zuckerberg’s remark. Following the apology, Dubey declared it a “victory of the common citizens” of India.
“The Indian Parliament and government have the blessings and trust of 1.4 billion people. An official from Meta India has finally apologised for their mistakes. This victory belongs to the common citizens of India,” Dubey tweeted. He also emphasized that the panel would continue to summon Meta and other social media platforms on various issues in the future.
Dubey also highlighted the strength of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership: “Narendra Modi has been elected as Prime Minister for the third time. The people have introduced the country’s strongest leadership to the world.”
Zuckerberg’s Original Comment
The controversy stemmed from Mark Zuckerberg’s appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, where he claimed that most incumbent governments, including India, lost power in the 2024 elections following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The statement drew swift backlash from Indian political leaders. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was among the first to address the error publicly. “People of India reaffirmed their trust in the NDA led by PM Narendra Modi’s leadership,” Vaishnaw tweeted. “Zuckerberg’s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections, lost post-COVID is factually incorrect.”
Ongoing Scrutiny of Social Media Platforms
While the apology from Meta India may have diffused this particular issue, the company and other social media platforms remain under the watchful eye of Indian authorities. Dubey’s comments suggest that further scrutiny of social media companies is on the horizon, especially on issues concerning political content and fact-checking.
This incident highlights the sensitive nature of political discourse and the responsibility social media companies have to ensure accuracy, particularly in nations with large, engaged democracies like India.
