Mark Zuckerberg's claim about India's 2024 elections triggers backlash, with Meta issuing an apology and Indian leaders slamming the misinformation.

Here are five points to explain the controversy surrounding Mark Zuckerberg's remarks that led to the Meta India's apology to India.

Meta has apologised after it was threatened with legal action by Indian lawmakers over Mark Zuckerberg’s comments about the country’s general election. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

Nishikant Dubey's remarks came after Zuckerberg in a podcast with American TV host Joe Rogan earlier claimed, "The reaction to COVID probably caused a breakdown of trust in a lot of governments around the world.

In a podcast, Mark Zuckerberg said that the incumbent government in India lost the election in 2024 due to its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw criticised Mark Zuckerberg’s comments on India’s elections. Meta’s Shivanth Thukral responded, apologising for the error and confirming that the remarks did not apply to India.

Reaction from Thukral came after Vaishnaw said Zuckerberg's claim that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections, lost post-Covid was factually incorrect.

Meta India has issued an apology after Mark Zuckerberg's incorrect remark about India's 2024 elections, facing backlash from officials who emphasised the government’s decisive victory and public trust.

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.

Calling it an "inadvertent error", Meta India has apologised for its CEO Mark Zuckerberg's statement that the incumbent government in India lost elections in 2024 due to its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.