Meta's Mark Zuckerberg to face Parliamentary summons over misinformation on General Elections 2024
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is likely to be summoned by the Indian Parliamentary Standing Committee over his remarks about the 2024 Indian elections, which BJP MP Nishikant Dubey called misinformation. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw refuted Zuckerberg's claims, urging Meta to uphold accuracy and credibility.
Social media giant Meta is expected to face a summons from the Indian Parliamentary Standing Committee following CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s controversial remarks about the 2024 Indian general elections. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Communication and Information Technology, announced that Meta would be called in for spreading misinformation about the election results.
In a recent post on X, Dubey accused Zuckerberg of tarnishing India’s image by spreading inaccurate information. He emphasized that such misinformation undermines a democratic nation and called for an apology from Meta to the Indian Parliament and its people.
The controversy began after Zuckerberg commented on a podcast with Joe Rogan on January 10. He suggested that the Covid-19 pandemic led to a global decline in trust towards governments, including in India. He claimed that in 2024, most incumbent governments around the world lost their elections, citing India as an example. "The incumbents lost every single one. There is some sort of a global phenomenon, whether it was due to inflation, economic policies related to Covid, or how governments dealt with Covid," Zuckerberg said in the podcast.
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However, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw quickly fact-checked Zuckerberg's statement. Vaishnaw pointed out that the people of India had reaffirmed their trust in the Narendra Modi-led NDA government in the 2024 elections. The Minister took to X to refute the claim, stating, “Zuckerberg’s statement about most incumbents losing in the 2024 elections, including India, is factually incorrect.” He added that the victory of Prime Minister Modi in the third consecutive term was a clear reflection of public trust and good governance, reported NDTV.
Minister Vaishnaw also criticized Zuckerberg for spreading misinformation, urging Meta to uphold credibility and accuracy. He highlighted India’s strong post-Covid recovery, including the distribution of free food and vaccines to millions, as evidence of the government’s effective response.
The incident also raises concerns about Meta’s recent decision to end third-party fact-checking on its platform. Zuckerberg’s shift in policy, which aims to promote free speech, has drawn criticism from misinformation experts and political figures worldwide. Some argue that this policy could have negative consequences, especially in countries prone to political instability and misinformation.
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Zuckerberg's controversial remarks come amid accusations from critics that his policy decisions are aligned with conservative views, particularly in light of the re-election campaign of US President-elect Donald Trump. Many have accused Zuckerberg of supporting Trump’s agenda to limit free speech restrictions on social media.
While the Parliamentary Standing Committee has yet to issue a formal letter to Meta, the summons could have significant implications for the company, especially given its increasing influence over global discourse.