
Meta Not Checking Facts Anymore: Zuckerberg Thinks Modi Lost Elections
India-West News Desk
NEW DELHI – India’s Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology pushed back on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s claim about the results of India’s 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In a recent interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg stated that most incumbent governments, including India, lost their elections in 2024. He suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and economic policies contributed to a global erosion of trust in governments, which influenced election outcomes.
Zuckerberg explained, “2024 was a very big election year around the world and all these countries, including India, had elections. The incumbents basically lost every single one. There is some sort of a global phenomenon — whether it was because of inflation or the economic policies to deal with Covid or just how the governments dealt with Covid. It seems to have had this effect that’s global.”
Vaishnaw swiftly responded, calling Zuckerberg’s statement “factually incorrect.” He highlighted that India’s 2024 election saw a record voter turnout of over 640 million people, and the public reaffirmed their trust in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who secured a third consecutive term.
In a post on X, Vaishnaw said, “Mr. Zuckerberg’s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections, lost post-COVID is factually incorrect. 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 also criticized Zuckerberg for failing to check facts.
Zuckerberg’s claim came amid growing concerns about Meta’s new policies on misinformation and to stop fact-checking, with critics alleging that the tech giant’s approach might be influenced by political biases. The claim triggered alarm, especially given its timing and the global political context. It was also seen as an attempt to curry favor with President-elect Donald Trump, whose conservative supporters have criticized fact-checking efforts on tech platforms as censorship. It has been praised by Trump cabinet nominee and head of X, Elon Musk.
The International Fact-Checking Network warned that countries vulnerable to misinformation could face political instability, election interference, and even violence if such policies were adopted more broadly.
Zuckerberg defended his approach in the interview, but it has continued to draw widespread attention and concern.
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