New Delhi: In response to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s comments regarding the 2024 Indian general election, the Indian government is taking firm action against Meta and calling for an explanation. The parliamentary committee on communications and information technology, led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey, issued the summons on X and said the committee would hold Meta responsible for disseminating false information.
According to Dubey, spreading misleading information damages the standing of any democratic country. He insisted that Meta issue an official apology to the Indian Parliament and its people. “My committee will summon Meta for this misinformation. Incorrect information tarnishes the image of any democratic country,” Dubey wrote on X.
मेरी कमिटि इस ग़लत जानकारी के लिए @Meta को बुलाएगी । किसी भी लोकतांत्रिक देश की ग़लत जानकारी देश की छवि को धूमिल करती है । इस गलती के लिए भारतीय संसद से तथा यहाँ की जनता से उस संस्था को माफ़ी माँगनी पड़ेगी https://t.co/HulRl1LF4z
— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) January 14, 2025
“The organization will have to apologise to the Indian Parliament and the people of this country for this mistake,” he added.
According to Zuckerberg’s statement in a podcast interview, incumbent governments throughout the world lose elections in 2024 due to the decline in public trust brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic response. He used India as an example and said it was a worldwide phenomenon that was not just present in the US. Indian officials have responded to this claim in a big way.
“It’s not just the US. I think a lot of the people in the US focus on this as a kind of an American phenomenon but I kind of think that the reaction to Covid probably caused a breakdown in trust in a lot of government around the world. I mean 2024 was a big election year around the world and all these countries, India, just like a ton of countries that had elections and the incumbents basically lost every single one. There is some sort of a global phenomenon where the whether it was because of inflation, because of the economic policies to deal with Covid or just how the governments dealt with Covid, it seems to have had this effect that is global, not just the US, but like a very broad decrease in trust, at least in that set of incumbents and maybe in sort of these democratic institutions overall,” Zuckerberg had said.
Zuckerberg’s assertions were promptly refuted by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who emphasised that the Narendra Modi-led NDA government secured a third term in the 2024 elections.
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw criticised Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, on Monday for making the “erroneous assertion” about the government, saying it was disheartening to see the billionaire disseminating false information.
“As the world’s largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. The people of India reaffirmed their trust in the NDA led by PM Narendra Modi’s leadership. Mr. Zuckerberg’s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in the 2024 elections, lost post-COVID is factually incorrect,” he said.
As the world’s largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. People of India reaffirmed their trust in NDA led by PM @narendramodi Ji’s leadership.
Mr. Zuckerberg’s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections,…
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 13, 2025
He called for Meta to put accuracy and credibility first, concluding that Zuckerberg’s claim is factually false.
“From free food for 800 million, 2.2 billion free vaccines, and aid to nations worldwide during COVID, to leading India as the fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi’s decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust. @Meta, it’s disappointing to see misinformation from Mr. Zuckerberg himself. Let’s uphold facts and credibility,” he wrote on X.
