Meta has apologized for remarks made by CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the 2024 general elections, calling them an “inadvertent error.” The controversy arose after Zuckerberg, during a podcast, suggested that incumbents worldwide, including India, lost elections due to the pandemic’s impact. Meta India’s Vice-President (Public Policy), Shivanand Thukral, clarified that the observation applied to several countries but not India. In a statement addressed to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Thukral expressed regret and reiterated India’s importance to Meta, emphasizing its commitment to supporting the nation’s innovative future.
Union Minister Vaishnaw had countered Zuckerberg’s remarks, noting that the 2024 Indian elections saw over 640 million voters reaffirm their trust in the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He labeled Zuckerberg’s claim as factually incorrect, highlighting India’s successful democratic process and the NDA’s re-election. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey further criticized Meta, announcing that the company would be summoned by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communication and Information Technology to address allegations of misinformation.
The controversy stems from Zuckerberg’s podcast comments, where he attributed declining trust in governments globally to the pandemic’s economic fallout and policy responses. However, his inclusion of India in this trend was a mistake, as the incumbent NDA government retained power in the 2024 elections. Meta’s swift apology and acknowledgment of the error aim to mitigate the backlash and reaffirm its respect for India’s democratic processes.
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