Meta has agreed to pay former President Donald Trump $25 million to settle a lawsuit regarding his claims about the company's handling of his accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta to pay Trump $25 Million to settle lawsuit over Facebook and Instagram

Meta is to pay $25 million to United States President Donald Trump. The company agreed to pay the amount to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump in 2021, according to people familiar with the matter.
The lawsuit was filed by the president after Meta suspended his accounts following the US Capitol attack. Trump has signed settlement papers that require Meta to pay roughly $25 million to resolve the lawsuit, reported The Wall Street Journal.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-unveils-plan-to-detain-30000-migrants-at-notorious-guantanamo-bay-military-prison-criminal-illegal-aliens-us-illegal-immigrants-8669651">Donald Trump unveils plan to detain 30,000 'criminal illegal aliens' at notorious Guantanamo Bay military prison</a>
<h2>The $25 mn agreement</h2>
According to the report citing people familiar with the agreement, $22 million of the payment will fund the presidential library of Trump, while the remaining will cover the legal fees and other payments related to the case.
In the settlement, Meta will not admit wrongdoing for suspending Trump&rsquo;s accounts. A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the agreement to news agency AFP.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/metas-former-coo-sheryl-sandberg-sanctioned-by-delaware-judge-over-alleged-email-deletions-8655488">Meta&rsquo;s former COO Sheryl Sandberg sanctioned by Delaware judge over alleged email deletions</a>
Trump criticised the Meta platforms for suspending his account after his supporters attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. His comments were also seen as praising the people involved in the violence.
<h2>Tech mogul supports Trump</h2>
Trump had recently courted tech moguls including X owner Elon Musk along with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The two were present during his inaugural ceremony on January 20.
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Zuckerberg has also shown support for the new president. Reportedly, he dined with Trump at his Florida estate in November last year. The CEO recently announced an overhaul of Meta policies, lifting restrictions on content on its platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.
Meta rolled back its fact-checking operations, saying it would be &ldquo;restoring free expression on our platforms&rdquo;, said Zuckerberg.&nbsp;
Watch | US: Passenger plane collides midair with military helicopter in Washington DC
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The latest settlement is yet another bow by a media corporation as Trump has assumed the office for the second time.
In December, ABC News settled an agreement with Trump by agreeing to pay $15 million to resolve a defamation lawsuit by Trump after a top anchor made comments about him on-air.
(With inputs from agencies)

World | Trending | The lawsuit was filed by the president after Meta suspended his accounts following the US Capitol attack. Trump has signed settlement papers that require Meta to pay roughly $25 million to resolve the lawsuit.

Meta is to pay $25 million to United States President Donald Trump. The company agreed to pay the amount to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump in 2021, according to people familiar with the matter. The lawsuit was filed by the president after Meta suspended his accounts following the US Capitol attack. Trump has signed settlement papers that require Meta to pay roughly $25 million to resolve the lawsuit, reported The Wall Street Journal. Also read | Donald Trump unveils plan to detain 30,000 'criminal illegal aliens' at notorious Guantanamo Bay military prison The $25 mn agreement According to the report citing people familiar with the agreement, $22 million of the payment will fund the presidential library of Trump, while the remaining will cover the legal fees and other payments related to the case. In the settlement, Meta will not admit wrongdoing for suspending Trump’s accounts. A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the agreement to news agency AFP. Also read | Meta’s former COO Sheryl Sandberg sanctioned by Delaware judge over alleged email deletions Trump criticised the Meta platforms for suspending his account after his supporters attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. His comments were also seen as praising the people involved in the violence. Tech mogul supports Trump Trump had recently courted tech moguls including X owner Elon Musk along with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The two were present during his inaugural ceremony on January 20. Also read | Lee Zeldin confirmed as Trump's pick for Environmental Protection Agency Zuckerberg has also shown support for the new president. Reportedly, he dined with Trump at his Florida estate in November last year. The CEO recently announced an overhaul of Meta policies, lifting restrictions on content on its platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads. Meta rolled back its fact-checking operations, saying it would be “restoring free expression on our platforms”, said Zuckerberg. Watch | US: Passenger plane collides midair with military helicopter in Washington DC The latest settlement is yet another bow by a media corporation as Trump has assumed the office for the second time. In December, ABC News settled an agreement with Trump by agreeing to pay $15 million to resolve a defamation lawsuit by Trump after a top anchor made comments about him on-air. (With inputs from agencies)

Why has Meta agreed to pay $25 mn to US President Trump?

A regional passenger jet crashed after colliding with a military helicopter mid-air near Washington's Reagan National Airport on Wednesday (Jan 29).
US President Donald Trump plans to detain thousands of undocumented migrants at Guantanamo Bay, the infamous military base in Cuba used to hold terrorism suspects since the 9/11 attacks.&nbsp;
In other news, following the stampede at the world's largest religious gathering in India, Maha Kumbh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued guidelines to implement stricter crowd management protocols.
Meanwhile, Meta has agreed to pay $25 mn to US President Trump to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump for suspending his accounts following the US Capitol attack.
Click on the headlines for more
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/apparent-air-crash-in-potomac-river-washington-police-8669725" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">VIDEO | White House says passenger jet collided midair with helicopter over Washington</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/01/30/oS9bn3uwPdyYwHQ9Lpe4.jpg" alt=" VIDEO | White House says passenger jet collided midair with helicopter over Washington Photograph: (X) ">
A regional passenger jet crashed Wednesday after colliding with a military helicopter mid-air near Washington's Reagan National Airport, the White House and aviation officials said, prompting a major emergency response and grounding of all flights.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-unveils-plan-to-detain-30000-migrants-at-notorious-guantanamo-bay-military-prison-criminal-illegal-aliens-us-illegal-immigrants-8669651" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Donald Trump unveils plan to detain 30,000 'criminal illegal aliens' at notorious Guantanamo Bay military prison</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/01/30/Q0X3VutCWEF8ilxhyFyu.png" alt=" L: Donald Trump file photo. R: Archival image Guantanamo Bay. Photograph: (Combination created using images from AFP and Reuters) ">
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (Jan 29) unveiled a controversial plan to detain thousands of undocumented migrants at Guantanamo Bay, a notorious United States military prison.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maha-kumbh-stampede-up-cm-yogi-adityanath-tightens-arrangements-issues-fresh-orders-to-avoid-more-tragedies-8669675" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Maha Kumbh Stampede: UP CM Yogi Adityanath tightens arrangements, issues fresh orders to avoid more tragedies</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/01/30/KTvwgcZSom7tdVyJi7WH.png" alt=" File Photo: Yogi Adityanath and Maha Kumbh 2025 stampede. Photograph: (Combination created using images from AFP and Reuters) ">
In the wake of the tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued a slew of guidelines on crowd management, traffic flow, prevention of build-up of devotees and coordination among departments.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-has-meta-agreed-to-pay-25-mn-to-us-president-trump-8669842" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Why has Meta agreed to pay $25 mn to US President Trump?</a>
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Meta is to pay $25 million to United States President Donald Trump. The company agreed to pay the amount to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump in 2021, according to people familiar with the matter.
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&nbsp;

Begin your day with WION's comprehensive morning news brief, delivering the latest headlines and key updates to keep you informed and ready for the day ahead.

A regional passenger jet crashed after colliding with a military helicopter mid-air near Washington's Reagan National Airport on Wednesday (Jan 29). US President Donald Trump plans to detain thousands of undocumented migrants at Guantanamo Bay, the infamous military base in Cuba used to hold terrorism suspects since the 9/11 attacks. In other news, following the stampede at the world's largest religious gathering in India, Maha Kumbh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued guidelines to implement stricter crowd management protocols. Meanwhile, Meta has agreed to pay $25 mn to US President Trump to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump for suspending his accounts following the US Capitol attack. Click on the headlines for more VIDEO | White House says passenger jet collided midair with helicopter over Washington A regional passenger jet crashed Wednesday after colliding with a military helicopter mid-air near Washington's Reagan National Airport, the White House and aviation officials said, prompting a major emergency response and grounding of all flights. Donald Trump unveils plan to detain 30,000 'criminal illegal aliens' at notorious Guantanamo Bay military prison US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (Jan 29) unveiled a controversial plan to detain thousands of undocumented migrants at Guantanamo Bay, a notorious United States military prison. Maha Kumbh Stampede: UP CM Yogi Adityanath tightens arrangements, issues fresh orders to avoid more tragedies In the wake of the tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued a slew of guidelines on crowd management, traffic flow, prevention of build-up of devotees and coordination among departments. Why has Meta agreed to pay $25 mn to US President Trump? Meta is to pay $25 million to United States President Donald Trump. The company agreed to pay the amount to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump in 2021, according to people familiar with the matter. Watch | At least 75 Rohingya refugees sail to Indonesia

Morning news brief: Passenger plane collides with helicopter in Washington; Trump plans to detain 'illegal aliens', and more

Just days after being dumped by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg is now facing sanctions from a Delaware judge for allegedly deleting emails related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
The sanctions come as part of a shareholder lawsuit filed late last year against Sandberg and former Meta board member Jeff Zients, accusing them of using personal email accounts to discuss Facebook's privacy practices, in violation of the law and their fiduciary duties.
According to a report by TechCrunch, shareholders accused Sandberg and Zients of using personal email accounts, including Gmail, to discuss Facebook's privacy issues, allegedly violating their legal responsibilities and duties to the company.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-secretly-trying-to-gain-control-in-japan-specifically-in-okinawa-close-to-taiwan-8655020">China secretly trying to gain control in Japan, specifically in Okinawa, close to Taiwan</a>
<h2 dir="ltr">Ruling suggested that Sandberg selectively deleted emails&nbsp;</h2>
The lawsuit further claims that emails were deleted from these personal accounts even after a court order mandated their preservation. The judge found these allegations credible, highlighting that Sandberg used a personal Gmail account under an alias to discuss the case.
A court ruling also cited inconsistencies in Sandberg's responses to questions from the plaintiffs, suggesting that she selectively deleted emails rather than relying on automatic deletion settings.
The judge raised the standard of proof for Sandberg&rsquo;s defence, now requiring &ldquo;clear and convincing&rdquo; evidence instead of the usual &ldquo;preponderance of the evidence.&rdquo;&nbsp;
As a result, the judge raised the standard of proof for Sandberg's defence, now requiring "clear and convincing" evidence instead of the usual "preponderance of the evidence." The court has ordered that certain legal costs be covered for the plaintiffs. In response, a spokesperson for Sheryl Sandberg denied the allegations, stating: "All work emails were preserved on Facebook's servers."
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-anti-dei-order-grounds-documentary-of-tuskegee-airmen-and-female-wwii-pilots-8654667">Trump&rsquo;s anti-DEI order grounds documentary on Tuskegee Airmen and female WWII pilots</a>
At the heart of the lawsuit is Meta's alleged violation of a 2012 FTC order, which prohibited the company from collecting and sharing user data without consent.
The company's actions, including selling data to Cambridge Analytica, have already resulted in a $5 billion fine from the FTC in 2019, as well as penalties from European regulators.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerberg-blamed-close-friend-sheryl-sandberg-for-cultural-issues-at-meta-in-trump-meeting-8630109">Zuckerberg blamed 'close friend' Sheryl Sandberg for &lsquo;cultural&rsquo; issues at Meta in Trump meeting</a>
<h2 dir="ltr">Sandberg's role at Meta and public perception</h2>
Sheryl Sandberg joined Facebook in 2008 as COO and played a key role in transforming the company into a profitable entity through its advertising business. In 2012, she became the first woman to join Facebook's board of directors. Before her tenure at Meta, Sandberg served as Vice President of global online sales and operations at Google and worked at the U.S. Treasury Department under Lawrence Summers.
(With inputs from agencies)
&nbsp;

World: Sheryl Sandberg, who recently parted from Meta, faces legal challenges as a Delaware court accuses her of email deletion linked to the Cambridge Analytica controversy.

Just days after being dumped by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg is now facing sanctions from a Delaware judge for allegedly deleting emails related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The sanctions come as part of a shareholder lawsuit filed late last year against Sandberg and former Meta board member Jeff Zients, accusing them of using personal email accounts to discuss Facebook's privacy practices, in violation of the law and their fiduciary duties. According to a report by TechCrunch, shareholders accused Sandberg and Zients of using personal email accounts, including Gmail, to discuss Facebook's privacy issues, allegedly violating their legal responsibilities and duties to the company. Also read | China secretly trying to gain control in Japan, specifically in Okinawa, close to Taiwan Ruling suggested that Sandberg selectively deleted emails The lawsuit further claims that emails were deleted from these personal accounts even after a court order mandated their preservation. The judge found these allegations credible, highlighting that Sandberg used a personal Gmail account under an alias to discuss the case. A court ruling also cited inconsistencies in Sandberg's responses to questions from the plaintiffs, suggesting that she selectively deleted emails rather than relying on automatic deletion settings. The judge raised the standard of proof for Sandberg’s defence, now requiring “clear and convincing” evidence instead of the usual “preponderance of the evidence.” As a result, the judge raised the standard of proof for Sandberg's defence, now requiring "clear and convincing" evidence instead of the usual "preponderance of the evidence." The court has ordered that certain legal costs be covered for the plaintiffs. In response, a spokesperson for Sheryl Sandberg denied the allegations, stating: "All work emails were preserved on Facebook's servers." Also read | Trump’s anti-DEI order grounds documentary on Tuskegee Airmen and female WWII pilots At the heart of the lawsuit is Meta's alleged violation of a 2012 FTC order, which prohibited the company from collecting and sharing user data without consent. The company's actions, including selling data to Cambridge Analytica, have already resulted in a $5 billion fine from the FTC in 2019, as well as penalties from European regulators. Also read | Zuckerberg blamed 'close friend' Sheryl Sandberg for ‘cultural’ issues at Meta in Trump meeting Sandberg's role at Meta and public perception Sheryl Sandberg joined Facebook in 2008 as COO and played a key role in transforming the company into a profitable entity through its advertising business. In 2012, she became the first woman to join Facebook's board of directors. Before her tenure at Meta, Sandberg served as Vice President of global online sales and operations at Google and worked at the U.S. Treasury Department under Lawrence Summers. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta’s former COO Sheryl Sandberg sanctioned by Delaware judge over alleged email deletions

The US got its new president earlier this week in the form of Donald J Trump but seems like Meta&rsquo;s AI chatbot is still stuck in time. On Thursday (Jan 23), the chatbot was still referring to Trump&rsquo;s predecessor Joe Biden as the US president, reported news agency Reuters.
"The current president of the United States is Joe Biden. However, according to the most recent information available, Donald Trump was sworn in as the president on January 20, 2025," replied Meta&rsquo;s AI chatbot upon requesting to name the president.
According to sources cited by Reuters, Meta has now initiated an emergency procedure to troubleshoot the urgent problem.
Responding to the error, Daniel Roberts, a spokesperson for Meta, said: "Everyone knows the President of the United States is Donald Trump. All generative AI systems sometimes return outdated results, and we will continue to improve our features.&rdquo;
It was not clear what kind of emergency measures was Meta taking in order to fix this problem.
<h2>Error fixed now</h2>
However, by Friday, the error had apparently been fixed. When asked to name the US president, Meta&rsquo;s chatbot responded without any error.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/zuck-is-human-bad-boy-internet-is-divided-on-mark-zuckerbergs-viral-video-peeking-at-jeff-bezos-fiance-lauren-s&aacute;nchez-8639206">Internet is divided on Mark Zuckerberg's viral video looking at Jeff Bezos' fiancee Lauren S&aacute;nchez</a>
&ldquo;The president of the United States is Donald J. Trump. He was sworn in on January 20, 2025,&rdquo; the chatbot said.
<h2>Recent Meta controversies</h2>
Meta has sparked couple of controversies during this week related to US presidential transition. First, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced criticism for steering the company to the right and was accused of implementing policy changes to please the new president. Decisions like scrapping its fact-checking program and doing away with DEI policies didn&rsquo;t go down well with the platform&rsquo;s traditional supporters.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/trump-inauguration-from-elon-musks-nazi-salute-to-mark-zuckerbergs-bad-boy-moment-these-are-the-viral-moments-you-cannot-miss-8640494">Trump inauguration: From Elon Musk's Nazi salute to Mark Zuckerberg's 'bad boy' moment, these are the viral instances you cannot miss</a>
It was also reported earlier this week that Meta might be forcing some of its users to re-follow the profiles of Trump, Vice President JD Vance and first lady Melania Trump on Facebook and Instagram.
Another controversy included allegations that Meta was blocking searches for the hashtags #Democrat and #Democrats for some users. Later, Meta also acknowledged the problem and blamed it on a technical glitch.
(With inputs from agencies)

World | However, by Friday, the error had apparently been fixed. When asked to name the US president, Meta’s chatbot responded without any error.

The US got its new president earlier this week in the form of Donald J Trump but seems like Meta’s AI chatbot is still stuck in time. On Thursday (Jan 23), the chatbot was still referring to Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden as the US president, reported news agency Reuters. "The current president of the United States is Joe Biden. However, according to the most recent information available, Donald Trump was sworn in as the president on January 20, 2025," replied Meta’s AI chatbot upon requesting to name the president. According to sources cited by Reuters, Meta has now initiated an emergency procedure to troubleshoot the urgent problem. Responding to the error, Daniel Roberts, a spokesperson for Meta, said: "Everyone knows the President of the United States is Donald Trump. All generative AI systems sometimes return outdated results, and we will continue to improve our features.” It was not clear what kind of emergency measures was Meta taking in order to fix this problem. Error fixed now However, by Friday, the error had apparently been fixed. When asked to name the US president, Meta’s chatbot responded without any error. Also read: Internet is divided on Mark Zuckerberg's viral video looking at Jeff Bezos' fiancee Lauren Sánchez “The president of the United States is Donald J. Trump. He was sworn in on January 20, 2025,” the chatbot said. Recent Meta controversies Meta has sparked couple of controversies during this week related to US presidential transition. First, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced criticism for steering the company to the right and was accused of implementing policy changes to please the new president. Decisions like scrapping its fact-checking program and doing away with DEI policies didn’t go down well with the platform’s traditional supporters. Also read: Trump inauguration: From Elon Musk's Nazi salute to Mark Zuckerberg's 'bad boy' moment, these are the viral instances you cannot miss It was also reported earlier this week that Meta might be forcing some of its users to re-follow the profiles of Trump, Vice President JD Vance and first lady Melania Trump on Facebook and Instagram. Another controversy included allegations that Meta was blocking searches for the hashtags #Democrat and #Democrats for some users. Later, Meta also acknowledged the problem and blamed it on a technical glitch. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Biden was sworn in as president,’ Meta’s AI bewildered following Trump inauguration

Many Instagram and Facebook users discovered they were unexpectedly following accounts for President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump. Meta clarified that this transition occurs with new administrations. Users can unfollow these accounts, though some may face delays. Watch this report for more details!

Meta denies claims of pushing users to follow Trump team accounts

Meta will allow WhatsApp users to share status updates across Instagram and Facebook, as well as enable single sign-in, according to tech media reports late Tuesday (January 21).&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/can-cia-read-your-whatapp-messages-this-is-what-mark-zuckerberg-has-to-say-8612166" rel="dofollow">Can CIA read your WhatsApp messages? This is what Mark Zuckerberg has to say...</a>
This update is part of Meta integrating WhatsApp into its Accounts Center, as WABetaINfo spotted. According to Meta, the feature link won't be turned on automatically and hence it is up to users to decide if linking WhatsApp to Accounts Center is something they want.
<h2>How will the WhatsApp info be used?</h2>
If users agree to use the feature, Meta will start using their WhatsApp information to do things such as provide, personalise, and improve its products and services, including showing advertisements, a report by The Verge said.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-supporters-press-zuckerberg-to-release-facebook-files-as-meta-steers-to-right-8623982" rel="dofollow">Trump supporters press Zuckerberg to release Facebook Files as Meta steers to right</a>
The company also said that Meta's other apps would not use WhatsApp personal data &ldquo;unless it&rsquo;s to determine how many people we serve, keep people safe, or to provide optional features that work across Meta products.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Meta also said that linking users' accounts would not change the fact that messages are end-to-end encrypted in WhatsApp.
<h2>Who can see my status?</h2>
Meta has shared a photograph of how this feature would allow WhatsApp users to share status updates across Instagram and Facebook.&nbsp;
Also watch | Meta and Apple pouring their money into making smart glasses
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The photograph shows the "Who can see my status?" tab on WhatsApp. Apart from the usual options of sharing status with, "My contacts," "My contacts except...," and "Only share with...," the feature gives two more options- upload status on Facebook and upload status on Instagram.
(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Meta has shared a photograph of how this feature would allow WhatsApp users to share status updates as stories across Instagram and Facebook. 

Meta will allow WhatsApp users to share status updates across Instagram and Facebook, as well as enable single sign-in, according to tech media reports late Tuesday (January 21). Also read | Can CIA read your WhatsApp messages? This is what Mark Zuckerberg has to say... This update is part of Meta integrating WhatsApp into its Accounts Center, as WABetaINfo spotted. According to Meta, the feature link won't be turned on automatically and hence it is up to users to decide if linking WhatsApp to Accounts Center is something they want. How will the WhatsApp info be used? If users agree to use the feature, Meta will start using their WhatsApp information to do things such as provide, personalise, and improve its products and services, including showing advertisements, a report by The Verge said. Also read | Trump supporters press Zuckerberg to release Facebook Files as Meta steers to right The company also said that Meta's other apps would not use WhatsApp personal data “unless it’s to determine how many people we serve, keep people safe, or to provide optional features that work across Meta products.” Meta also said that linking users' accounts would not change the fact that messages are end-to-end encrypted in WhatsApp. Who can see my status? Meta has shared a photograph of how this feature would allow WhatsApp users to share status updates across Instagram and Facebook. Also watch | Meta and Apple pouring their money into making smart glasses The photograph shows the "Who can see my status?" tab on WhatsApp. Apart from the usual options of sharing status with, "My contacts," "My contacts except...," and "Only share with...," the feature gives two more options- upload status on Facebook and upload status on Instagram. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta to allow WhatsApp users to share status updates on Instagram, Facebook

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week set the cat among the pigeons by saying he thought the corporate world had become &ldquo;culturally neutered&rdquo; and needed &ldquo;masculine energy&rdquo; to fire up. He made these comments on Joe Rogan&rsquo;s podcast soon after taking drastic steps that indicated Meta&rsquo;s sharp turn towards the right. Earlier, Zuckerberg announced Meta was going to bury fact-checking and DEI initiatives ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
&ldquo;I do think a lot of our society has become&hellip;kind of like neutered, or like emasculated,&rdquo; Zuckerberg said. &ldquo;When you are running a company, people don&rsquo;t want to see you being like this ruthless person.&rdquo;
<h2>Comments spark outrage</h2>
Zuckerberg&rsquo;s comments didn&rsquo;t go down well with professionals and techies, who were quick to condemn the META CEO&rsquo;s newfound chauvinism.
Mark Lemley, an attorney who earlier represented Meta in a lawsuit concerning the alleged use of copyright texts for training artificial intelligence, said he was dropping the company as a client following what he called &ldquo;Facebook&rsquo;s descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness.&rdquo;
The Stanford Law School professor&rsquo;s name was later removed from Meta&rsquo;s roster.
Though the lawyer agreed that Meta was on the right side of the copyright case, he said, &ldquo;I cannot in good conscience serve as their lawyer any longer.&rdquo;
The attorney alleged that Meta was allowing &ldquo;allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation&rdquo;.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-supporters-press-zuckerberg-to-release-facebook-files-as-meta-steers-to-right-8623982">Trump supporters press Zuckerberg to release Facebook Files as Meta steers to right</a>
Zuckerberg&rsquo;s comments also drew a sharp rebuke from Kelley Greene, a techie working in the tech industry for 15 years. &ldquo;As a woman who spent 15 years working in the tech industry, I absolutely disagree,&rdquo; she wrote in a hard-hitting op-ed.
&ldquo;During my career, as I walked past ping-pong tables and kegerators, shrugged off inappropriate jokes, got asked to take notes in meetings, and had my ideas dismissed, I never once felt a lack of masculine energy,&rdquo; the techie quipped.
&ldquo;Tech has always been a boys&rsquo; club,&rdquo; she added.
<h2>Reactions on social media</h2>
On social media too, people went all guns blazing after Zuckerberg.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-mark-zuckerberg-firing-employees-in-meta-ahead-of-fy2025-8623819">Why is Mark Zuckerberg firing employees in Meta ahead of FY2025?</a>
&ldquo;Perfect example of someone changing their opinion as soon as the government changes,&rdquo; wrote one user.
&ldquo;Bro watching too much Andrew Tate,&rdquo; another added.
&ldquo;This dude is panicking. I don&rsquo;t believe a thing he&rsquo;s saying for a second,&rdquo; a third added.

World | Zuckerberg’s comments didn’t go down well with professionals and techies, who were quick to condemn the META CEO’s newfound chauvinism.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week set the cat among the pigeons by saying he thought the corporate world had become “culturally neutered” and needed “masculine energy” to fire up. He made these comments on Joe Rogan’s podcast soon after taking drastic steps that indicated Meta’s sharp turn towards the right. Earlier, Zuckerberg announced Meta was going to bury fact-checking and DEI initiatives ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. “I do think a lot of our society has become…kind of like neutered, or like emasculated,” Zuckerberg said. “When you are running a company, people don’t want to see you being like this ruthless person.” Comments spark outrage Zuckerberg’s comments didn’t go down well with professionals and techies, who were quick to condemn the META CEO’s newfound chauvinism. Mark Lemley, an attorney who earlier represented Meta in a lawsuit concerning the alleged use of copyright texts for training artificial intelligence, said he was dropping the company as a client following what he called “Facebook’s descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness.” The Stanford Law School professor’s name was later removed from Meta’s roster. Though the lawyer agreed that Meta was on the right side of the copyright case, he said, “I cannot in good conscience serve as their lawyer any longer.” The attorney alleged that Meta was allowing “allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation”. Also read: Trump supporters press Zuckerberg to release Facebook Files as Meta steers to right Zuckerberg’s comments also drew a sharp rebuke from Kelley Greene, a techie working in the tech industry for 15 years. “As a woman who spent 15 years working in the tech industry, I absolutely disagree,” she wrote in a hard-hitting op-ed. “During my career, as I walked past ping-pong tables and kegerators, shrugged off inappropriate jokes, got asked to take notes in meetings, and had my ideas dismissed, I never once felt a lack of masculine energy,” the techie quipped. “Tech has always been a boys’ club,” she added. Reactions on social media On social media too, people went all guns blazing after Zuckerberg. Also read: Why is Mark Zuckerberg firing employees in Meta ahead of FY2025? “Perfect example of someone changing their opinion as soon as the government changes,” wrote one user. “Bro watching too much Andrew Tate,” another added. “This dude is panicking. I don’t believe a thing he’s saying for a second,” a third added.

‘Neo-Nazi madness': Zuckerberg slammed by Meta lawyer, techie over ‘masculine energy’ comment

Tech giant meta, along with other major corporations are making headlines once again with plans for significant layoffs. These job cuts come as part of broader trends in the corporate world to streamline operations and cut costs amid rapid technological advancements.

Global Firms Expect AI-driven Job Cuts Over The Next 5 Years | World Business Watch | WION

Meta India on Wednesday (Jan 15) issued an apology over CEO Mark Zuckerberg's remark on the 2024 Indian general elections, where he claimed that the incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost polls last year. Watch in for more details!

'Inadvertent Error': Meta Apologises For Zuckerberg's Remark

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to cut approximately 5% of its workforce via performance-based terminations. Watch this report for more details!

Global firms expect AI-driven job cuts over the next five years

Meta planning to lay off 5 pc of its workforce in round of performance-linked job cuts

Days after Mark Zuckerberg remarks on a podcast that several governments, including the one in India, lost power in elections held after the Covid-19 pandemic, Meta apologised for the comments.

Meta apologises for Zuckerberg's remark on India 2024 polls

Mark <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meta-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-to-co-host-reception-for-trumps-inauguration-8623368">Zuckerberg</a>&nbsp;is planning to fire 5 per cent of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/meta-apologises-over-zuckerbergs-remark-on-2024-elections-inadvertent-error-8623244">Meta</a> workforce which will come under the category of "poor performers". The company, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has 72,000 people working globally which means around 3,600 people will be affected by the plan. The company further said to hire new employees in the year 2025&nbsp;
<h3>'Intense Year'</h3>
Also read | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/onlyfans-to-monkhood-ash-edelmans-inspiring-journey-from-glamour-to-spirituality-8623418" aria-label="OnlyFans to monkhood: Ash Edelman&rsquo;s inspiring journey from stripper to spirituality">OnlyFans to monkhood: Ash Edelman&rsquo;s inspiring journey from stripper to spirituality</a>
In a memo to staff, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he has decided to "move out low-performers faster" as 2025 would be an "intense year." He said the decision will help accelerate Meta's usual performance management system.&nbsp;
The US employees who will be affected by the decision will be notified by February 10, while those outside the US will be told later.&nbsp;
Also read | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meta-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-to-co-host-reception-for-trumps-inauguration-8623368" aria-label="Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to co-host reception for Trump&rsquo;s inauguration">Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to co-host reception for Trump&rsquo;s inauguration</a>
In his memo, Zuckerberg said he has decided to "raise the bar" on performance. Bloomberg was the first to report on the memo.&nbsp;
He further said that although the company "typically" manages out people who are not delivering up to the expectation, this time the company is "going to do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle". The 40-year-old added that he wants the "best people" in his team this year.&nbsp;
The termination plan will be implemented for staff who have spent long enough in the organisation to assess performance. Zuckerberg further added that Meta would &ldquo;provide generous severance&rdquo; for those who would lose their jobs as per this plan.&nbsp;
Also read | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/la-wildfires-amid-limited-fresh-water-supply-seawater-being-used-to-douse-fires-8623200" aria-label="LA wildfires: Amid limited fresh water supply, firefighters using seawater to douse fires">LA wildfires: Amid limited fresh water supply, firefighters using seawater to douse fires</a>
<h3>Scrapping fact-checkers backfires&nbsp;</h3>
The job announcement came after Zuckerberg faced massive backlash for scrapping third-party fact-checkers who used to flag misleading content. The company said it was to prioritise free speech. Experts have raised that the decision would boost harmful content on the platforms by Meta.&nbsp;
Due to the decision, Meta faced a 2.3 per cent fall in its shares on Tuesday (Jan 14).&nbsp;
Also read | <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/steve-jobs-letter-revealing-ardent-desire-to-attend-kumbh-mela-fetches-whopping-500k-at-auction-8622997" aria-label="Steve Jobs' letter revealing ardent desire to attend Kumbh Mela fetches $500k at auction">Steve Jobs' letter revealing ardent desire to attend Kumbh Mela fetches $500k at auction</a>
(With inputs from agencies)
&nbsp;

Trending | SCIENCE & TECH | Business & Economy | World | In a memo to staff, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he has decided to "move out low-performers faster" as 2025 would be an "intense year."

Mark Zuckerberg is planning to fire 5 per cent of the Meta workforce which will come under the category of "poor performers". The company, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has 72,000 people working globally which means around 3,600 people will be affected by the plan. The company further said to hire new employees in the year 2025 'Intense Year' Also read | OnlyFans to monkhood: Ash Edelman’s inspiring journey from stripper to spirituality In a memo to staff, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he has decided to "move out low-performers faster" as 2025 would be an "intense year." He said the decision will help accelerate Meta's usual performance management system. The US employees who will be affected by the decision will be notified by February 10, while those outside the US will be told later. Also read | Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to co-host reception for Trump’s inauguration In his memo, Zuckerberg said he has decided to "raise the bar" on performance. Bloomberg was the first to report on the memo. He further said that although the company "typically" manages out people who are not delivering up to the expectation, this time the company is "going to do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle". The 40-year-old added that he wants the "best people" in his team this year. The termination plan will be implemented for staff who have spent long enough in the organisation to assess performance. Zuckerberg further added that Meta would “provide generous severance” for those who would lose their jobs as per this plan. Also read | LA wildfires: Amid limited fresh water supply, firefighters using seawater to douse fires Scrapping fact-checkers backfires The job announcement came after Zuckerberg faced massive backlash for scrapping third-party fact-checkers who used to flag misleading content. The company said it was to prioritise free speech. Experts have raised that the decision would boost harmful content on the platforms by Meta. Due to the decision, Meta faced a 2.3 per cent fall in its shares on Tuesday (Jan 14). Also read | Steve Jobs' letter revealing ardent desire to attend Kumbh Mela fetches $500k at auction (With inputs from agencies)

Why is Mark Zuckerberg firing employees in Meta ahead of FY2025?

Mark Zuckerberg will cohost a reception for Donald Trump&rsquo;s inauguration as the president-elect returns to the White House for his second term.
The Meta CEO, along with a few billionaire Republican donors, will be hosting the black-tie event on Monday (Jan 20) before the inaugural balls, reported The Associated Press, citing anonymous sources familiar with the private plans.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/meta-apologises-over-zuckerbergs-remark-on-2024-elections-inadvertent-error-8623244" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Meta apologises over Zuckerberg's remark on 2024 elections; 'inadvertent error'</a>
The other cohosts include Miriam Adelson, the Dallas Mavericks owner and widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and Tilman Fertitta, Trump&rsquo;s pick to serve as US ambassador to Italy and Houston Rockets owner. Todd Ricketts, the co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and Ricketts&rsquo; wife, Sylvie L&eacute;g&egrave;re, will also join among the co-hosts.
An invite to the event was posted on social media by a journalist and podcaster.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fake-findings-at-1-am-trump-slams-jack-smiths-report-on-jan-6-case-8621954" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">'Fake findings at 1 am,' Trump slams Jack Smith's report on Jan 6 case</a>
&ldquo;More Zucking up... Zuckerberg to host an inaugural ball reception for Trump and Vance with Miriam Adelson, Todd Ricketts and Tilman Fertitta,&rdquo; she wrote in the post along with sharing the image of the invite.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: More Zucking up... Zuckerberg to host an inaugural ball reception for Trump and Vance with Miriam Adelson, Todd Ricketts and Tilman Fertitta <a href="https://t.co/yfpL617NO1">pic.twitter.com/yfpL617NO1</a>
&mdash; Tara Palmeri (@tarapalmeri) <a href="https://twitter.com/tarapalmeri/status/1879275566328893824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Social media reacts to invite</h2>
Social media users were quick to notice that the name of Zuckerberg&rsquo;s wife, Priscilla Chan, was not mentioned anywhere in the invite.
People in the comments section highlighted this fact saying &ldquo;Notice it does not say Priscilla Chan,&rdquo; and &ldquo;His wife's name is missing.&rdquo;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zuckerbergs-latest-move-meta-orders-removal-of-tampons-from-mens-bathrooms-sparks-backlash-8612818" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Zuckerberg's latest move: Meta order for removal of tampons from men's bathrooms sparks backlash</a>
Another user wrote, &ldquo;His wife&rsquo;s name isn&rsquo;t on the invite. Interesting.&rdquo;
While other users perceive the move as Zuckerberg&rsquo;s attempt to become a close ally with the incoming US president.
&ldquo;Mark doesn&rsquo;t want to go to prison for the rest of his life. He&rsquo;s going to do exactly what he&rsquo;s told to do, when he&rsquo;s told to do it,&rdquo; a user wrote.
<h2>Zuckerberg and Trump</h2>
Zuckerberg was once seen as a foe of the former president for banning him from Instagram and Facebook after the US Capitol attack on Jan 6, 2021. However, the CEO has been aligning himself with Trump, in an attempt to improve their relationship.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/mark-zuckerberg-slams-joe-biden-administration-claims-officials-would-scream-and-curse-to-get-certain-covid-19-content-removed-from-facebook-8609556" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Zuckerberg claims Biden officials would 'scream' to enforce Covid 'censorship' on Facebook</a>
Zuckerberg dined with the Republican at his iconic Mar-a-Lago club in Florida following his win in the November elections last year. His company Meta also donated $1 million as an inauguration fund to Trump.
Last week, Zuckerberg announced a policy overhaul across Facebook and Instagram, removing third-party fact-checking on the social media platforms to promote free speech. Trump claimed that the move was &ldquo;probably&rdquo; a response to the threats made by him against the tech mogul.
(With inputs from agencies)

World | Trending | Social media users were quick to notice that the name of Zuckerberg’s wife, Priscilla Chan, was not mentioned anywhere in the invite. 

Mark Zuckerberg will cohost a reception for Donald Trump’s inauguration as the president-elect returns to the White House for his second term. The Meta CEO, along with a few billionaire Republican donors, will be hosting the black-tie event on Monday (Jan 20) before the inaugural balls, reported The Associated Press, citing anonymous sources familiar with the private plans. Also read | Meta apologises over Zuckerberg's remark on 2024 elections; 'inadvertent error' The other cohosts include Miriam Adelson, the Dallas Mavericks owner and widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and Tilman Fertitta, Trump’s pick to serve as US ambassador to Italy and Houston Rockets owner. Todd Ricketts, the co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and Ricketts’ wife, Sylvie Légère, will also join among the co-hosts. An invite to the event was posted on social media by a journalist and podcaster. Also read | 'Fake findings at 1 am,' Trump slams Jack Smith's report on Jan 6 case “More Zucking up... Zuckerberg to host an inaugural ball reception for Trump and Vance with Miriam Adelson, Todd Ricketts and Tilman Fertitta,” she wrote in the post along with sharing the image of the invite. NEW: More Zucking up... Zuckerberg to host an inaugural ball reception for Trump and Vance with Miriam Adelson, Todd Ricketts and Tilman Fertitta pic.twitter.com/yfpL617NO1 — Tara Palmeri (@tarapalmeri) January 14, 2025 Social media reacts to invite Social media users were quick to notice that the name of Zuckerberg’s wife, Priscilla Chan, was not mentioned anywhere in the invite. People in the comments section highlighted this fact saying “Notice it does not say Priscilla Chan,” and “His wife's name is missing.” Also read | Zuckerberg's latest move: Meta order for removal of tampons from men's bathrooms sparks backlash Another user wrote, “His wife’s name isn’t on the invite. Interesting.” While other users perceive the move as Zuckerberg’s attempt to become a close ally with the incoming US president. “Mark doesn’t want to go to prison for the rest of his life. He’s going to do exactly what he’s told to do, when he’s told to do it,” a user wrote. Zuckerberg and Trump Zuckerberg was once seen as a foe of the former president for banning him from Instagram and Facebook after the US Capitol attack on Jan 6, 2021. However, the CEO has been aligning himself with Trump, in an attempt to improve their relationship. Also read | Zuckerberg claims Biden officials would 'scream' to enforce Covid 'censorship' on Facebook Zuckerberg dined with the Republican at his iconic Mar-a-Lago club in Florida following his win in the November elections last year. His company Meta also donated $1 million as an inauguration fund to Trump. Last week, Zuckerberg announced a policy overhaul across Facebook and Instagram, removing third-party fact-checking on the social media platforms to promote free speech. Trump claimed that the move was “probably” a response to the threats made by him against the tech mogul. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to co-host reception for Trump’s inauguration

Meta India on Wednesday (Jan 15) issued an apology over CEO Mark Zuckerberg's remark on the 2024 Indian general elections, where he claimed that the incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost polls last year.
Calling the remark an 'inadvertent error', Meta India's vice-president (public policy) Shivanand Thukral released a statement, responding to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's post on X.
"Dear Honourable Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, 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 apologise 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," Thukral said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m5xnmti8-t4suhria-t1s3d05z">
Dear Honourable Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/AshwiniVaishnaw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AshwiniVaishnaw</a> , 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 apologise for this inadvertent error. India remains an incredibly important country&hellip;
&mdash; Shivnath Thukral (@shivithukral) <a href="https://twitter.com/shivithukral/status/1879226796941750731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
This comes after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said he would send summons to Meta and would also call upon the tech company to apologise to India&rsquo;s Parliament.
&ldquo;My committee will call Meta for this wrong information," Dubey wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m5xnonxd-qg0tu2qe-4opzhvoz">
मेरी कमिटि इस ग़लत जानकारी के लिए <a href="https://twitter.com/Meta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Meta</a> 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 <a href="https://t.co/HulRl1LF4z">https://t.co/HulRl1LF4z</a>
&mdash; Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) <a href="https://twitter.com/nishikant_dubey/status/1879070170486026564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
&ldquo;Wrong information in any democratic country tarnishes the image of the country. That organization will have to apologize to the Indian Parliament and the people here for this mistake," the MP added.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-parliamentary-committee-to-summon-meta-over-zuckerbergs-factually-incorrect-claim-about-2024-election-results-8620807">Also read: India to summon Meta over Zuckerberg's 'factually incorrect' claim about 2024 election results</a>
<h2>What did Zuckerberg say?</h2>
Zuckerberg had said in a podcast with Joe Rogan that the incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost elections in 2024.&nbsp;
The tech mogul said: "2024 was a big election year around the world. All these countries, like India, had elections. The incumbents basically lost every single one. There is some sort of a global phenomenon &ndash; whether it was because of inflation or the economic policies to deal with Covid or just how the governments dealt with Covid - seems to have had this global effect...There was a broad decrease in trust in incumbents and may be in these sorts of democratic institutions overall."
In reality, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won India&rsquo;s 2024 general election, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi securing a historic third consecutive term in office. However, Zuckerberg seemed to suggest during the podcast that this was not the case.
<h2>India's minister calls out Zuckerberg&nbsp;</h2>
In response, Vaishnaw said, "As the world&rsquo;s largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. The people of India reaffirmed their trust in the NDA led by PM Narendra Modi's leadership. Mr. Zuckerberg&rsquo;s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in the 2024 elections, lost post-COVID is factually incorrect."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m5xno1dr-ukycx31m-8vy663wf">
As the world&rsquo;s largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. People of India reaffirmed their trust in NDA led by PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> Ji&rsquo;s leadership. Mr. Zuckerberg&rsquo;s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in 2024 elections,&hellip;
&mdash; Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/AshwiniVaishnaw/status/1878773353726759106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
"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&rsquo;s decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust. @Meta, it&rsquo;s disappointing to see misinformation from Mr. Zuckerberg himself. Let&rsquo;s uphold facts and credibility," Vaishnaw wrote on X.
(With inputs from agencies)

Meta India on Wednesday (Jan 15) issued an apology over CEO Mark Zuckerberg's remark that the incumbent government in India lost power in the 2024 elections. 

Meta India on Wednesday (Jan 15) issued an apology over CEO Mark Zuckerberg's remark on the 2024 Indian general elections, where he claimed that the incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost polls last year. Calling the remark an 'inadvertent error', Meta India's vice-president (public policy) Shivanand Thukral released a statement, responding to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's post on X. "Dear Honourable Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, 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 apologise 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," Thukral said. Dear Honourable 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 apologise for this inadvertent error. India remains an incredibly important country… — Shivnath Thukral (@shivithukral) January 14, 2025 This comes after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said he would send summons to Meta and would also call upon the tech company to apologise to India’s Parliament. “My committee will call Meta for this wrong information," Dubey wrote. 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 “Wrong information in any democratic country tarnishes the image of the country. That organization will have to apologize to the Indian Parliament and the people here for this mistake," the MP added. Also read: India to summon Meta over Zuckerberg's 'factually incorrect' claim about 2024 election results What did Zuckerberg say? Zuckerberg had said in a podcast with Joe Rogan that the incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost elections in 2024. The tech mogul said: "2024 was a big election year around the world. All these countries, like 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 - seems to have had this global effect...There was a broad decrease in trust in incumbents and may be in these sorts of democratic institutions overall." In reality, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won India’s 2024 general election, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi securing a historic third consecutive term in office. However, Zuckerberg seemed to suggest during the podcast that this was not the case. India's minister calls out Zuckerberg In response, Vaishnaw said, "As the world’s largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. The people of India reaffirmed their trust in the NDA led by PM Narendra Modi's leadership. Mr. Zuckerberg’s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in the 2024 elections, lost post-COVID is factually incorrect." 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,… — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 13, 2025 "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," Vaishnaw wrote on X. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta apologises over Zuckerberg's remark on 2024 India elections; 'inadvertent error'

India's Parliamentary Standing Committee is set to summon Meta over its CEO Mark Zuckerberg's remark on the 2024 Indian general elections, where he claimed that the incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost polls last year.
Taking to his official X account, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said that he would send summons to Meta and would also call upon the tech company to apologise to India&rsquo;s Parliament.
&ldquo;My committee will call Meta for this wrong information," Dubey wrote.
&ldquo;Wrong information in any democratic country tarnishes the image of the country. That organization will have to apologize to the Indian Parliament and the people here for this mistake," the MP added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m5w9uh1z-o57his20-ivxyiw2d">
मेरी कमिटि इस ग़लत जानकारी के लिए <a href="https://twitter.com/Meta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Meta</a> 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 <a href="https://t.co/HulRl1LF4z">https://t.co/HulRl1LF4z</a>
&mdash; Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) <a href="https://twitter.com/nishikant_dubey/status/1879070170486026564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-minister-ashwini-vaishnaw-calls-out-meta-ceo-zuckerberg-over-false-claims-about-2024-election-results-8619091">Also read: 'Factually incorrect,' India's Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw calls out Zuckerberg over false claim about 2024 election results</a>
<h2>What did Zuckerberg say?</h2>
Zuckerberg had said in a podcast with Joe Rogan that the incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost elections in 2024.&nbsp;
The tech mogul said, "2024 was a big election year around the world. All these countries, like India, had elections. The incumbents basically lost every single one. There is some sort of a global phenomenon &ndash; whether it was because of inflation or the economic policies to deal with Covid or just how the governments dealt with Covid - seems to have had this global effect...There was a broad decrease in trust in incumbents and maybe in these sorts of democratic institutions overall."
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won India&rsquo;s 2024 general election, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi securing a third consecutive term in office. However, Zuckerberg said during the podcast that this was not the case.
<h2>India's Minister calls out Zuckerberg for making 'factually incorrect' claim about elections</h2>
In response, Vaishnaw said, "As the world&rsquo;s largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. The people of India reaffirmed their trust in the NDA led by PM Narendra Modi's leadership. Mr. Zuckerberg&rsquo;s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in the 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&rsquo;s decisive 3rd-term victory is a testament to good governance and public trust. @Meta, it&rsquo;s disappointing to see misinformation from Mr. Zuckerberg himself. Let&rsquo;s uphold facts and credibility," Vaishnaw wrote on X.
(With inputs from agencies)

India News | World: Meta CEO Zuckerberg had said in a podcast with Joe Rogan that incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost elections in 2024. 

India's Parliamentary Standing Committee is set to summon Meta over its CEO Mark Zuckerberg's remark on the 2024 Indian general elections, where he claimed that the incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost polls last year. Taking to his official X account, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said that he would send summons to Meta and would also call upon the tech company to apologise to India’s Parliament. “My committee will call Meta for this wrong information," Dubey wrote. “Wrong information in any democratic country tarnishes the image of the country. That organization will have to apologize to the Indian Parliament and the people here for this mistake," the MP added. 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 Also read: 'Factually incorrect,' India's Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw calls out Zuckerberg over false claim about 2024 election results What did Zuckerberg say? Zuckerberg had said in a podcast with Joe Rogan that the incumbent governments in all countries, including India, lost elections in 2024. The tech mogul said, "2024 was a big election year around the world. All these countries, like 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 - seems to have had this global effect...There was a broad decrease in trust in incumbents and maybe in these sorts of democratic institutions overall." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won India’s 2024 general election, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi securing a third consecutive term in office. However, Zuckerberg said during the podcast that this was not the case. India's Minister calls out Zuckerberg for making 'factually incorrect' claim about elections In response, Vaishnaw said, "As the world’s largest democracy, India conducted the 2024 elections with over 640 million voters. The people of India reaffirmed their trust in the NDA led by PM Narendra Modi's leadership. Mr. Zuckerberg’s claim that most incumbent governments, including India in the 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," Vaishnaw wrote on X. (With inputs from agencies)

India to summon Meta over Zuckerberg's 'factually incorrect' claim about 2024 election results

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Saturday said that US authorities like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) can read our WhatsApp messages by physically accessing devices. Watch this report for more details!

Mark Zuckerberg Says CIA Can Access Your WhatsApp Messages | World DNA | WION

Meta CEO Zuckerberg says CIA can access your WhatsApp messages

Meta CEO: CIA can read messages by physically accessing devices

US President Joe Biden blasted Meta for scrapping fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram in the United States, calling the move "really shameful". Watch this report for more details!

Joe Biden slams Meta's plan to scrap US fact-checking feature

Joe Biden blasts 'really shameful' Meta decision to scrap US fact-checking

Joe Biden slams Meta's move to scrap fact-checking

International Fact-Checking Network denies Mark Zuckerberg's claim that their program is censorship, calling it false. Watch this report for more details!

Fact-checking network refutes Zuckerberg's claims of censorship on Meta platform

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has recently been in the headlines for moves that are seen as appeasement for the incoming US president Donald Trump. Now, the Meta boss has alleged that Trump's political rival and current US President Joe Biden's administrators would &ldquo;scream&rdquo; and &ldquo;curse&rdquo; at Meta executives while demanding they remove any negative posts about the coronavirus vaccine.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-fact-checking-meta-dismantles-diversity-programmes-is-mark-zuckerberg-trying-to-appease-president-elect-donald-trump-8609188">After fact-checking, Meta dismantles diversity programmes. Is Zuckerberg trying to appease Trump?</a>
During an interview on the &ldquo;Joe Rogan Experience&rdquo; show,&nbsp; Zuckerberg also said he was &ldquo;optimistic&rdquo; about President-elect Donald Trump.
<h2>Zuckerberg slams Biden administration</h2>
Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook alleged that officials from the Biden administration would make calls to his firms and berate his employees.
&ldquo;Basically, these people from the Biden administration would call up our team and, like, scream at them and curse,&rdquo; Zuckerberg told Rogan.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/vatican-allows-gay-men-in-italian-seminaries-but-theres-a-catch-8609403">Gay men in Italy can now become priests, but there's a catch</a>
&ldquo;It was brutal,&rdquo; he said.
Watch the interview here:
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&ldquo;It just got to this point where we were like, 'No, we're not gonna, we're not gonna take down things that are true. That's ridiculous',&rdquo; he claimed.
&ldquo;The US government should be defending its companies, not be at the tip of the spear attacking its companies,&rdquo; he added.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meta-faces-72-hour-deadline-from-brazil-over-transparency-in-fact-checking-practicesmeta-faces-72-hour-deadline-from-brazil-over-transparency-in-fact-checking-practices-8608999">Meta faces 72-hour deadline from Brazil over transparency in fact-checking practices</a>
Asked by the host if these calls were recorded, Zuckerberg said he didn't think so.
Praising Trump, the tech boss said he thinks the Republican &ldquo;just wants America to win.&rdquo;
<h2>First such allegations against Biden?</h2>
This is not the first time Zuckerberg has made censorship allegations against the Biden administration. Last year, in a letter to Representative Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee, he claimed the White House &ldquo;repeatedly pressured&rdquo; Facebook to remove &ldquo;certain COVID-19 content including humor and satire.&rdquo;
He also accepted that Facebook did at times acquiesce to the demands, but said the certain choices the company made, &ldquo;with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn&rsquo;t make today.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-extends-protections-for-nearly-1-million-migrants-just-days-before-donald-trumps-inauguration-8609118">Biden extends protections for nearly 1 million migrants, just days before Trump&rsquo;s inauguration</a>
At the time, the White House in a statement claimed that, faced with a deadly pandemic, &ldquo;this Administration encouraged responsible actions to protect public health and safety.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Our position has been clear and consistent: we believe tech companies and other private actors should take into account the effects their actions have on the American people while making independent choices about the information they present&rdquo;.
(With inputs from agencies)

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg alleges Biden officials pressured Meta for Covid content censorship, claiming they would often scream and curse at executives for compliance.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has recently been in the headlines for moves that are seen as appeasement for the incoming US president Donald Trump. Now, the Meta boss has alleged that Trump's political rival and current US President Joe Biden's administrators would “scream” and “curse” at Meta executives while demanding they remove any negative posts about the coronavirus vaccine. Also read | After fact-checking, Meta dismantles diversity programmes. Is Zuckerberg trying to appease Trump? During an interview on the “Joe Rogan Experience” show, Zuckerberg also said he was “optimistic” about President-elect Donald Trump. Zuckerberg slams Biden administration Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook alleged that officials from the Biden administration would make calls to his firms and berate his employees. “Basically, these people from the Biden administration would call up our team and, like, scream at them and curse,” Zuckerberg told Rogan. Also read | Gay men in Italy can now become priests, but there's a catch “It was brutal,” he said. Watch the interview here: “It just got to this point where we were like, 'No, we're not gonna, we're not gonna take down things that are true. That's ridiculous',” he claimed. “The US government should be defending its companies, not be at the tip of the spear attacking its companies,” he added. Also read | Meta faces 72-hour deadline from Brazil over transparency in fact-checking practices Asked by the host if these calls were recorded, Zuckerberg said he didn't think so. Praising Trump, the tech boss said he thinks the Republican “just wants America to win.” First such allegations against Biden? This is not the first time Zuckerberg has made censorship allegations against the Biden administration. Last year, in a letter to Representative Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the House Judiciary Committee, he claimed the White House “repeatedly pressured” Facebook to remove “certain COVID-19 content including humor and satire.” He also accepted that Facebook did at times acquiesce to the demands, but said the certain choices the company made, “with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn’t make today.” Also read | Biden extends protections for nearly 1 million migrants, just days before Trump’s inauguration At the time, the White House in a statement claimed that, faced with a deadly pandemic, “this Administration encouraged responsible actions to protect public health and safety.” “Our position has been clear and consistent: we believe tech companies and other private actors should take into account the effects their actions have on the American people while making independent choices about the information they present”. (With inputs from agencies)

Zuckerberg claims Biden officials would 'scream' to enforce Covid 'censorship' on Facebook

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Friday (Jan 10) that it is dismantling its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes. This move marks a significant shift in Meta's corporate strategy and is the second move in recent days - after ending fact-checks- that aligns closely with conservative political priorities.
On Tuesday (Jan 7), Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg had announced that his company was ditching third-party fact-checking in the US and turning over the task of debunking falsehoods to ordinary users under a model known as "Community Notes," popularised by Elon Musk's X.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-extends-protections-for-nearly-1-million-migrants-just-days-before-donald-trumps-inauguration-8609118">Biden extends protections for nearly 1 million migrants, just days before Trump&rsquo;s inauguration</a>
<h2>Meta's DEI programme</h2>
In an internal memo to employees, Meta on Friday revealed sweeping changes, including scrapping its diverse slate hiring practices and dissolving its DEI team.
The company said "the legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing" &mdash; in what could be an apparent reference to the incoming US President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican.&nbsp;
"We serve everyone," the internal memo stated, affirming that Meta will continue recruiting from a wide range of backgrounds. However, the company will no longer maintain specific diversity benchmarks for hiring women and ethnic minorities, a notable departure from its previous goals.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meta-faces-72-hour-deadline-from-brazil-over-transparency-in-fact-checking-practicesmeta-faces-72-hour-deadline-from-brazil-over-transparency-in-fact-checking-practices-8608999">Meta faces 72-hour deadline from Brazil over transparency in fact-checking practices</a>
As part of the restructuring, Meta&rsquo;s Chief Diversity Officer, Maxine Williams, will transition to a new role focused on accessibility and user engagement.
Meta&rsquo;s supplier diversity program&mdash;which prioritised partnerships with diverse-owned businesses&mdash;will also be terminated. The company says it will instead concentrate on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.
The memo, first reported by Axios, comes just days after Meta reversed several content moderation policies&mdash;most notably ending its fact-checking program in the US on both Facebook and Instagram.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/international-fact-checking-network-calls-out-meta-ceo-zuckerbergs-censorship-claim-as-false-8608243">International Fact-Checking Network calls out Meta CEO Zuckerberg's censorship claim as 'false'</a>
<h2>Zuckerberg's new-found love for Trump&nbsp;</h2>
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's move to disable fact-checking echoes longstanding Republican criticisms, including those from incoming president Trump and his close aide, X owner Musk. The two have previously accused social media giants of suppressing conservative voices under the guise of fact-checking and hate speech regulation.
The techie has been taking notable steps to mend relations with Trump following his election victory in November. Reports indicate Zuckerberg contributed $1 million to Trump&rsquo;s inauguration fund and hired a Republican to lead Meta&rsquo;s public affairs division.
In a Friday interview with podcast host Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg also sharply criticised Trump predecessor Joe Biden's administration for asking Meta to censor content during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/big-tech-bets-big-on-donald-trump-google-donates-1-mn-to-us-president-elects-inauguration-fund-8606136">Big Tech bets big on Trump: Google donates $1mn to US President-elect&rsquo;s inauguration fund</a>
<h2>Why Zuckerberg's sudden change of heart?</h2>
Trump has been a vocal critic of Zuckerberg and Meta for years, accusing the platform of political bias and vowing retribution once he returns to the White House. His return to the presidency has also brought to the forefront Republican opposition to corporate DEI programmes, many of which gained momentum in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and nationwide calls for racial equity.
Meta isn&rsquo;t alone in scaling back diversity initiatives. Following Trump&rsquo;s election, major corporations like Walmart, Ford, John Deere, Lowe&rsquo;s, Harley-Davidson, and Jack Daniels also reduced or dismantled programs aimed at supporting minority communities.
(With inputs from agencies)

Word | Science & Tech | Business & Economy | Meta blames changing legal and policy landscapes for dissolving DEI efforts, including diverse hiring and supplier diversity programs.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Friday (Jan 10) that it is dismantling its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes. This move marks a significant shift in Meta's corporate strategy and is the second move in recent days - after ending fact-checks- that aligns closely with conservative political priorities. On Tuesday (Jan 7), Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg had announced that his company was ditching third-party fact-checking in the US and turning over the task of debunking falsehoods to ordinary users under a model known as "Community Notes," popularised by Elon Musk's X. Also read | Biden extends protections for nearly 1 million migrants, just days before Trump’s inauguration Meta's DEI programme In an internal memo to employees, Meta on Friday revealed sweeping changes, including scrapping its diverse slate hiring practices and dissolving its DEI team. The company said "the legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing" — in what could be an apparent reference to the incoming US President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican. "We serve everyone," the internal memo stated, affirming that Meta will continue recruiting from a wide range of backgrounds. However, the company will no longer maintain specific diversity benchmarks for hiring women and ethnic minorities, a notable departure from its previous goals. Also read | Meta faces 72-hour deadline from Brazil over transparency in fact-checking practices As part of the restructuring, Meta’s Chief Diversity Officer, Maxine Williams, will transition to a new role focused on accessibility and user engagement. Meta’s supplier diversity program—which prioritised partnerships with diverse-owned businesses—will also be terminated. The company says it will instead concentrate on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. The memo, first reported by Axios, comes just days after Meta reversed several content moderation policies—most notably ending its fact-checking program in the US on both Facebook and Instagram. Also read | International Fact-Checking Network calls out Meta CEO Zuckerberg's censorship claim as 'false' Zuckerberg's new-found love for Trump Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's move to disable fact-checking echoes longstanding Republican criticisms, including those from incoming president Trump and his close aide, X owner Musk. The two have previously accused social media giants of suppressing conservative voices under the guise of fact-checking and hate speech regulation. The techie has been taking notable steps to mend relations with Trump following his election victory in November. Reports indicate Zuckerberg contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund and hired a Republican to lead Meta’s public affairs division. In a Friday interview with podcast host Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg also sharply criticised Trump predecessor Joe Biden's administration for asking Meta to censor content during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also read | Big Tech bets big on Trump: Google donates $1mn to US President-elect’s inauguration fund Why Zuckerberg's sudden change of heart? Trump has been a vocal critic of Zuckerberg and Meta for years, accusing the platform of political bias and vowing retribution once he returns to the White House. His return to the presidency has also brought to the forefront Republican opposition to corporate DEI programmes, many of which gained momentum in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and nationwide calls for racial equity. Meta isn’t alone in scaling back diversity initiatives. Following Trump’s election, major corporations like Walmart, Ford, John Deere, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson, and Jack Daniels also reduced or dismantled programs aimed at supporting minority communities. (With inputs from agencies)

Meta dismantles diversity programmes after ending fact-checks. Is Zuckerberg trying to appease Trump?

Brazil on Friday gave social media giant Meta 72 hours to explain its fact-checking policy for the country, and how it plans to protect "fundamental rights" on its platforms.
Attorney General Jorge Messias told journalists his office could take "legal and judicial" measures against Meta if it does not respond in time to an extrajudicial notice filed Friday.
Citing Meta's "lack of transparency," Messias said the company "will have 72 hours to inform the Brazilian government of its actual policy for Brazil."
Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg stunned many with his announcement Tuesday that he was pulling the plug on fact-checking at Facebook and Instagram in the United States, citing concerns about political bias and censorship.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-it-minister-inaugurates-facility-to-assemble-taiwanese-msi-laptops-8608989">India: IT Minister inaugurates facility to assemble Taiwanese MSI laptops</a>
The move has raised concerns in multiple countries, including Brazil, that are vulnerable to misinformation.
The Brazilian presidency said the changes at Meta were a key topic of discussion in a phone call Friday between Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
The leaders "agreed that freedom of expression does not mean freedom to spread lies, prejudices and insults."
Also prompting concern were Meta's new, looser restrictions on speech concerning topics such as gender and sexual identity, announced Thursday.
According to the government's extrajudicial notice, the new guidelines allow users to associate sexual identity with "a mental illness or abnormality" and allows "the defense of professional limitations based on gender."
"We will not allow, under any circumstances, these networks to transform the environment into a digital massacre or barbarity," said Messias, highlighting Brazil's strict laws protecting children and vulnerable populations.
<h2>'Respect Brazilian legislation'</h2>
The extrajudicial notice asks for clarity on how social media algorithms will be designed "in order to unwaveringly promote and protect fundamental rights."
Brazil also wants to know what measures will be adopted to prevent gender-based violence, racism, homophobia, transphobia, suicide, hate speech and other fundamental rights issues.
The country also wants details on how complaints can be filed, and how contradictions and disinformation in the new user-generated "community notes" system will be dealt with.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/lt-chairman-sn-subrahmanyans-pay-in-fy24-was-51-crore-535-times-median-employee-salary-8608974">L&amp;T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan's pay in FY24 was ₹51 crore, 535 times median employee salary</a>
"The government will not stand idly by, as you can see," said Messias.
The decision to hand the deadline to Meta came after a government meeting overseen by Lula on the implications of the changes for Brazil.
"All companies operating in the country must respect Brazilian legislation and jurisdiction," Lula wrote on X after the meeting.
On Wednesday, Brazil's public prosecutor's office sent a letter to local Meta representatives giving the company 30 days to clarify whether it intends to implement the fact-check changes in the country.
Brazil's Supreme Court has taken a strong stance on regulating social media platforms.
Last year, judge Alexandre de Moraes blocked Elon Musk's X platform for 40 days for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation.
AFP currently works in 26 languages with Facebook's fact-checking program, including in the United States and the European Union.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

World: Citing Meta's "lack of transparency," Messias said the company "will have 72 hours to inform the Brazilian government of its actual policy for Brazil."

Brazil on Friday gave social media giant Meta 72 hours to explain its fact-checking policy for the country, and how it plans to protect "fundamental rights" on its platforms. Attorney General Jorge Messias told journalists his office could take "legal and judicial" measures against Meta if it does not respond in time to an extrajudicial notice filed Friday. Citing Meta's "lack of transparency," Messias said the company "will have 72 hours to inform the Brazilian government of its actual policy for Brazil." Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg stunned many with his announcement Tuesday that he was pulling the plug on fact-checking at Facebook and Instagram in the United States, citing concerns about political bias and censorship. Also read: India: IT Minister inaugurates facility to assemble Taiwanese MSI laptops The move has raised concerns in multiple countries, including Brazil, that are vulnerable to misinformation. The Brazilian presidency said the changes at Meta were a key topic of discussion in a phone call Friday between Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. The leaders "agreed that freedom of expression does not mean freedom to spread lies, prejudices and insults." Also prompting concern were Meta's new, looser restrictions on speech concerning topics such as gender and sexual identity, announced Thursday. According to the government's extrajudicial notice, the new guidelines allow users to associate sexual identity with "a mental illness or abnormality" and allows "the defense of professional limitations based on gender." "We will not allow, under any circumstances, these networks to transform the environment into a digital massacre or barbarity," said Messias, highlighting Brazil's strict laws protecting children and vulnerable populations. 'Respect Brazilian legislation' The extrajudicial notice asks for clarity on how social media algorithms will be designed "in order to unwaveringly promote and protect fundamental rights." Brazil also wants to know what measures will be adopted to prevent gender-based violence, racism, homophobia, transphobia, suicide, hate speech and other fundamental rights issues. The country also wants details on how complaints can be filed, and how contradictions and disinformation in the new user-generated "community notes" system will be dealt with. Also read: L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan's pay in FY24 was ₹51 crore, 535 times median employee salary "The government will not stand idly by, as you can see," said Messias. The decision to hand the deadline to Meta came after a government meeting overseen by Lula on the implications of the changes for Brazil. "All companies operating in the country must respect Brazilian legislation and jurisdiction," Lula wrote on X after the meeting. On Wednesday, Brazil's public prosecutor's office sent a letter to local Meta representatives giving the company 30 days to clarify whether it intends to implement the fact-check changes in the country. Brazil's Supreme Court has taken a strong stance on regulating social media platforms. Last year, judge Alexandre de Moraes blocked Elon Musk's X platform for 40 days for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation. AFP currently works in 26 languages with Facebook's fact-checking program, including in the United States and the European Union. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Meta faces 72-hour deadline from Brazil over transparency in fact-checking practices

Meta's shocking announcement that it is ending its US fact-checking program triggered scathing criticism from disinformation researchers. Watch this report for more details!

Meta replaces fact-checking with X-style community notes

Experts slam Meta's decision to end fact-checking

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads, has rolled out significant changes to its content moderation rules, sparking outrage, particularly from LGBTQ+ people.
The revised hate speech guidelines released on Tuesday (Jan 7), now permit users to make allegations that connect mental illness or &ldquo;abnormality&rdquo; to someone's gender or sexual orientation. &nbsp;
The updated guidelines state: &ldquo;We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like &lsquo;weird.&rsquo;&rdquo;
This decision has been widely criticised for legitimising negative stereotypes and opening the door to harmful rhetoric.
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/girl-youre-no-longer-governor-musk-slams-trudeau-for-rejecting-canada-us-merger-pitch-by-trump-8601912">'Girl, you&rsquo;re no longer governor...': Musk slams Trudeau for rejecting Trump's Canada-US 'merger' pitch</a>
<h2>Removal of discrimination protections</h2>
Another significant change is the removal of policies that protected users from insults and hate speech based on characteristics like race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and religion. Meta also eliminated rules that previously banned dehumanising language, such as referring to transgender and nonbinary individuals as "it."
<h2>Shift in content moderation and fact-checking</h2>
Along with changes to hate speech policies, Meta also revealed a shift in its approach to content moderation. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta will replace its traditional fact-checking programme, which involved external partners, with a new community-driven system.&nbsp;
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-inauguration-which-world-leaders-will-attend-is-pm-modi-invited-8601972">Donald Trump&rsquo;s inauguration: Which world leaders will attend? Is PM Modi invited?</a>
<h2>Concerns about Meta&rsquo;s political ties</h2>
The timing of these changes has also raised questions about Meta&rsquo;s political and business interests. Recently, Meta, along with companies like Amazon and Apple, donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s second inaugural fund.&nbsp;
GLAAD, a leading LGBTQ advocacy group, has condemned Meta&rsquo;s new policies. Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD's President and CEO, criticised the company, saying, &ldquo;With these changes, Meta is continuing to normalise anti-LGBTQ hatred for profit&mdash;at the expense of its users and true freedom of expression. Fact-checking and hate speech policies protect free speech.&rdquo;
<div class="post-content">
(With inputs from agencies)
</div>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

World | The revised hate speech guidelines released on Tuesday (Jan 7) now permit users to make allegations that connect mental illness or “abnormality” to someone's gender or sexual orientation. 

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads, has rolled out significant changes to its content moderation rules, sparking outrage, particularly from LGBTQ+ people. The revised hate speech guidelines released on Tuesday (Jan 7), now permit users to make allegations that connect mental illness or “abnormality” to someone's gender or sexual orientation. The updated guidelines state: “We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like ‘weird.’” This decision has been widely criticised for legitimising negative stereotypes and opening the door to harmful rhetoric. Also Read | 'Girl, you’re no longer governor...': Musk slams Trudeau for rejecting Trump's Canada-US 'merger' pitch Removal of discrimination protections Another significant change is the removal of policies that protected users from insults and hate speech based on characteristics like race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and religion. Meta also eliminated rules that previously banned dehumanising language, such as referring to transgender and nonbinary individuals as "it." Shift in content moderation and fact-checking Along with changes to hate speech policies, Meta also revealed a shift in its approach to content moderation. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta will replace its traditional fact-checking programme, which involved external partners, with a new community-driven system. Also Read | Donald Trump’s inauguration: Which world leaders will attend? Is PM Modi invited? Concerns about Meta’s political ties The timing of these changes has also raised questions about Meta’s political and business interests. Recently, Meta, along with companies like Amazon and Apple, donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s second inaugural fund. GLAAD, a leading LGBTQ advocacy group, has condemned Meta’s new policies. Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD's President and CEO, criticised the company, saying, “With these changes, Meta is continuing to normalise anti-LGBTQ hatred for profit—at the expense of its users and true freedom of expression. Fact-checking and hate speech policies protect free speech.” (With inputs from agencies)

Meta revises policies to permit 'mentally ill' labels for LGBTQ people

The European Union (EU) said on Wednesday (Jan 8) that it rejected Meta Chief Mark Zuckerberg's charge that the bloc engaged in censorship with its tech regulations.&nbsp;
Addressing a press conference, European Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho said, "We absolutely refute any claims of censorship on our side."
The European Commission is the EU's politically independent executive arm.&nbsp;
<h2>Meta scraps its US fact-checking programme</h2>
The EU's remarks came a day after Meta scrapped its US fact-checking programme and reduced curbs on discussions around contentious topics such as immigration and gender identity.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meta-to-toss-out-factcheckers-reduce-censorship-and-restore-free-expression-8599677" rel="dofollow">Meta to toss out factcheckers to reduce censorship, restore 'free expression'</a>
"We're going to get rid of fact-checkers (that) have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the US," Zuckerberg said in a post.&nbsp;
Zuckerberg also took a shot at the EU "that has an ever-increasing number of laws institutionalising censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there."
The remark referred to new laws in Europe that require Meta and other major platforms to maintain content moderation standards or risk hefty fines.
<h2>Meta's decision criticised by disinformation experts</h2>
Meta's decision to end its US fact-checking programme was criticised by disinformation experts.&nbsp;
Speaking to the news agency AFP, Ross Burley, co-founder of the nonprofit Centre for Information Resilience, said that Meta's decision was "a major step back for content moderation at a time when disinformation and harmful content are evolving faster than ever."
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bending-of-knee-to-trump-condemn-critics-as-meta-ceo-announces-to-ditch-factchecking-8600485" rel="dofollow">'Bending of knee to Trump', say critics as Meta CEO ditches fact-checking</a>
"While efforts to protect free expression are vital, removing fact-checking without a credible alternative risks opening the floodgates to more harmful narratives," Burley added.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

World: The EU's remarks came a day after Meta scrapped its US fact-checking programme. Mark Zuckerberg criticised the bloc by saying it had an ever-increasing number of laws institutionalising censorship.

The European Union (EU) said on Wednesday (Jan 8) that it rejected Meta Chief Mark Zuckerberg's charge that the bloc engaged in censorship with its tech regulations. Addressing a press conference, European Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho said, "We absolutely refute any claims of censorship on our side." The European Commission is the EU's politically independent executive arm. Meta scraps its US fact-checking programme The EU's remarks came a day after Meta scrapped its US fact-checking programme and reduced curbs on discussions around contentious topics such as immigration and gender identity. Also read | Meta to toss out factcheckers to reduce censorship, restore 'free expression' "We're going to get rid of fact-checkers (that) have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the US," Zuckerberg said in a post. Zuckerberg also took a shot at the EU "that has an ever-increasing number of laws institutionalising censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there." The remark referred to new laws in Europe that require Meta and other major platforms to maintain content moderation standards or risk hefty fines. Meta's decision criticised by disinformation experts Meta's decision to end its US fact-checking programme was criticised by disinformation experts. Speaking to the news agency AFP, Ross Burley, co-founder of the nonprofit Centre for Information Resilience, said that Meta's decision was "a major step back for content moderation at a time when disinformation and harmful content are evolving faster than ever." Also read | 'Bending of knee to Trump', say critics as Meta CEO ditches fact-checking "While efforts to protect free expression are vital, removing fact-checking without a credible alternative risks opening the floodgates to more harmful narratives," Burley added. (With inputs from agencies)