Synopsis
Meta has apologized to the Indian government after CEO Mark Zuckerberg made comments about the 2024 elections, describing them as an 'inadvertent error,' affirming India's significance to the company.Key Takeaways
- Meta's apology centers on Mark Zuckerberg's remarks.
- India is deemed an important market by Meta.
- The Parliamentary panel is reacting to misinformation concerns.
- The Union Minister emphasized the trust in Modi's leadership.
- Calls for upholding facts in discourse were made.
New Delhi, Jan 15 (NationPress) The social media behemoth Meta issued an apology to the Indian government on Wednesday regarding the comments made by its Co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the 2024 General Elections, stating it was an “inadvertent error” on Zuckerberg's part and emphasizing that India is an “important country” for them.
The company was facing the possibility of being called before a Parliamentary committee due to “incorrect and irresponsible” statements made by its founder, which were deemed as “spreading misinformation”.
In a statement posted on the X social media platform, Meta India clarified that “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,” the company articulated.
Zuckerberg, during a recent podcast, asserted that a majority of the incumbent governments across democracies experienced a decline in public trust during the COVID-19 pandemic, which ultimately led to their removal in the 2024 elections.
Union Minister for I&B and Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, criticized Zuckerberg's comments regarding the Indian elections.
In a fact-checking effort, the Union Minister pointed out that last year’s elections in India were actually a reaffirmation of the public’s trust in the PM Modi-led NDA for a record third consecutive term.
“PM Modi's decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust,” he noted.
The Union Minister also offered advice to Meta and its CEO, encouraging them to adhere to the facts and truth.
“Meta, it's disappointing to see misinformation from Mr. Zuckerberg himself. Let's uphold facts and credibility,” Vaishnaw remarked.
Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, stated that the committee will soon issue a notice to Meta for “spreading misinformation” and will seek an apology.
“Misinformation in any democratic country tarnishes its image. The organization will have to apologise to the Indian Parliament and the people for this mistake,”
he posted on X.
