Meta says 'Sorry' to Indian gov over Zuckerberg's "Modi lost election" remark

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has issued a public apology after its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, made a false statement regarding India’s election results post-Covid. Zuckerberg had claimed that India was among several nations where incumbent governments lost elections due to their weak Covid-19 response.

Shivnath Thukral, Vice-President of Public Policy at Meta India, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to issue the apology. Addressing Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw, Thukral clarified that Zuckerberg’s observations were accurate for multiple nations but not for India. He wrote, “India remains an incredibly important country for Meta, and we look forward to being part of its innovative future.”

Minister Vaishnaw had earlier criticized Zuckerberg’s remarks during a podcast interview on Friday, calling them “patently false.” Thukral’s apology acknowledged the mistake and expressed Meta’s commitment to maintaining strong relations with India.

The controversy gained momentum after Nishikant Dubey, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on IT and Communications, announced that Meta India would be summoned to explain Zuckerberg’s statement. Dubey emphasized the need for accountability from global tech companies operating in India.

Zuckerberg’s comment referred to a global trend where incumbents in 20 countries reportedly lost elections due to public dissatisfaction with their pandemic response. However, this claim does not apply to India, where the ruling government secured a strong mandate in the 2024 elections.

Meta’s apology seeks to address the backlash from Indian political leaders and restore confidence in its operations within the country. The incident highlights the sensitivity of international corporations’ statements about domestic politics, especially in key markets like India.