Social media giant Meta on Wednesday apologised to the Indian government for its Co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s remarks on the 2024 General Elections, calling it an “inadvertent error” and reaffirming that India remains an “important country” for the company.
The company was set to be summoned by a Parliamentary panel over “incorrect and irresponsible” remarks made by Zuckerberg, which were criticised for “spreading misinformation.”
In a post on the social media platform X, Meta India clarified: “Mark’s observation that many incumbent parties were not re-elected in the 2024 elections holds true for several countries, BUT not India.”
The company further added, “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.”
Zuckerberg, during a recent podcast, claimed that most incumbent governments in democracies experienced an erosion of public trust during the COVID-19 pandemic, which he suggested led to their ouster in the 2024 elections.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, strongly criticised Zuckerberg’s comments regarding Indian elections.
Vaishnaw emphasized that last year’s elections were a reaffirmation of the people’s trust in PM Modi’s leadership, leading to a historic third-term victory for the NDA government.
“PM Modi’s decisive third-term victory is a testament to good governance and the public’s continued trust,” Vaishnaw said.
He also urged Meta and Zuckerberg to ensure accuracy and responsibility in their statements. “Meta, it’s disappointing to see misinformation from Mr. Zuckerberg himself. Let’s uphold facts and credibility,” Vaishnaw said in a post on X.
Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, announced that the panel would soon issue a notice to Meta for “spreading misinformation” and demand an apology.
“Misinformation in any democratic country tarnishes its image. The organisation will have to apologise to the Indian Parliament and the people for this mistake,” Dubey said in a post on X.
(Inputs from IANS)
