Meta apologizes for Mark Zuckerberg's "inadvertent error" on Joe Rogan's podcast after Indian politician calls out election remark

American tech giant, Meta, has issued an apology for Mark Zuckerberg's error on his recent Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast appearance. It came after a veteran Indian politician highlighted Zuckerberg's mistake.

Speaking to UFC commentator and podcast mogul Joe Rogan on episode #2255 of JRE (January 2025), Zuckerberg indicated that alleged COVID-related media censorship and misinformation dented the public's trust in traditional media outlets globally. Rogan seemingly concurred.

Zuckerberg also suggested that the incumbent governments, in India and many other countries, were replaced by new regimes in the post-COVID era. Nevertheless, several netizens, including Indian political leader Ashwini Vaishnaw, highlighted that Zuckerberg was wrong.

Taking to X, Vaishnaw alluded to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represents the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the BJP-helmed NDA (National Democratic Alliance), and his reign as India's elected leader. PM Modi ascended to the seat after winning the 2014 Indian general elections, was re-elected in 2019, and won a third term in 2024.

Mark Zuckerberg specifically named India during his JRE conversation. The BJP's Vaishnaw is known for serving as India's Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, and Minister of Railways. The ex-IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer wrote:

"As the world's largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. People of India reaffirmed their trust in NDA led by PM @narendramodi Ji's leadership. 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. @Meta, it's disappointing to see misinformation from Mr. Zuckerberg himself. Let's uphold facts and credibility."

Meta India's Director of Public Policy, Shivnath Thukral, responded to Ashwini Vaishnaw's aforementioned post. Thukral appeared to apologize on behalf of Meta and wrote:

"Dear Honorable Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw, Mark's observation that many incumbent parties were not re-elected in 2024 elections holds true for several countries, BUT not India. We would like to apologize for this inadvertent error. India remains an incredibly important country for @Meta and we look forward to being at the heart of its innovative future."

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A look at Mark Zuckerberg's claim about the Indian government and elections

Mark Zuckerberg has long faced accusations of censorship and misinformation via his Meta-owned social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Many netizens criticized Zuckerberg's misassessment's magnitude, given India's geopolitical significance and the American billionaire's past meetings with PM Modi.

Speaking to MMA personality Joe Rogan, Mark Zuckerberg had implied that most people worldwide lost trust in the media, that particular timeframe's incumbent governments, and democratic institutions overall during COVID's peak. The Meta founder speculated that it was likely because of inflation, economic policies, or the general approach of those incumbent governments to COVID:

"I kind of think that the reaction to COVID probably caused a breakdown in trust in a lot of governments around the world. Because, I mean, 2024 was a big election year around the world. And there are all these countries, India -- just like a ton of countries -- that had elections, and the incumbents basically lost every single one."

Watch Mark Zuckerberg's assessment below (17:17):