Meta Apologizes for Mark Zuckerberg's Misstatement on India's Elections

Meta Apologizes for Zuckerberg's Misstatement on India's Elections

Meta Apologizes for Mark Zuckerberg’s Misstatement on India’s Elections

Meta Apologizes for Mark Zuckerberg's Misstatement on India's Elections

New Delhi: Meta issued a public apology on Wednesday for an incorrect statement made by its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, regarding India’s election outcomes post-COVID-19. Zuckerberg, during a recent podcast, had erroneously included India among countries where incumbent governments lost elections due to a weak COVID-19 response.

Meta India Vice-President of Public Policy Shivnath Thukral addressed the issue on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). In his post, Thukral clarified the mistake and apologized for it.

Dear Honourable Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw, 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. India remains an incredibly important country for @Meta, and we look forward to being at the heart of its innovative future,” Thukral wrote, tagging the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Vaishnaw statement came on the heels of criticism from Vaishnaw on Mark Zuckerberg’s statement, calling it “patently false.” He emphasized that India was not among countries where incumbents lost elections post-COVID.

Adding insult to injury, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on IT and Communications, Nishikant Dubey, said Meta India would be summoned to address the issue. He insisted on a formal apology from Meta for the misleading statement made by the CEO.

Global Context and India’s Significance to Meta

While discussing the podcast, Zuckerberg said that the pandemic had changed the behavior of voters in many countries, which led to the ousting of incumbents in 20 countries. However, the claim regarding India sparked backlash as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was re-elected with a decisive mandate in 2024.

Meta’s prompt response shows the company’s sensitivity towards its relationship with India, one of its largest markets globally. With a burgeoning user base and significant stakes in India’s digital ecosystem, Meta has been a key player in fostering innovation and connectivity in the country.

While the controversy does raise questions regarding the accuracy of statements by global tech leaders, an apology from Meta underlines commitment to maintaining strong ties with the Indian government and people.