India to summon Meta over Mark Zuckerberg's 'factually incorrect' remarks

Social media giant Meta is set to receive a summons from a Parliamentary Standing committee following CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s remarks on India’s 2024 general election.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nishikant Dubey, who chairs the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, announced on Tuesday that the panel would summon Meta for allegedly spreading misinformation and demand an apology for “tarnishing” India’s image.  

Taking to his official handle on X, Dubey wrote, "My committee will summon Meta for this incorrect information. Incorrect information about any democratic country tarnishes its image. This organisation will have to apologise to the Indian Parliament and the people here for this mistake."

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 action came after Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw slammed Zuckerberg for making a “factually incorrect” statement. 

Zuckerberg had claimed in a podcast that the incumbent Indian government lost the 2024 election due to issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.  

"It is disappointing to see misinformation from Mr Zuckerberg himself. Let's uphold facts and credibility," Vaishnaw said, tagging Meta on X and other social media platforms.

"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," he further added.

What did Zuckerberg say?

During an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast,  Zuckerberg described 2024 as a major election year globally, claiming that incumbents in many countries, including India, lost their elections.

"There is some sort of global phenomena, whether it was inflation because of the economic policies to deal with Covid or just how the governments dealt with Covid, seems to have this effect that is global, not just the US, but like a very broad decrease in trust, at least in the set incumbents and maybe, in sort of these democratic institutions overall," he said.

However, in India’s 2024 general election, while BJP lost its outright majority, the ruling alliance led by the party secured a comfortable mandate, ensuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third consecutive term in office.