New Delhi (Sputnik): The testimony of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg before the US Congress that the social media giant "will do everything possible to ensure a free and fair election in some countries including India," has come under severe criticism in India and abroad.
"2018 is an important year. Around the world, there are important elections in India, Brazil, Mexico, and Pakistan. We want to make sure we do everything to protect the integrity of these elections," Zuckerberg was quoted as saying before a panel of US Senators during a testimony that reportedly lasted for over five hours.
The Facebook CEO was lambasted by Indian social media users, some of who said Zuckerberg was mistaking himself for an election authority.
Prime Minister of India Shri Mark Zuckerberg says "Will ensure fair Elections take place in India in 2019" pic.twitter.com/8AWIDjAHr1
— Unofficial Sususwamy (@swamv39) April 11, 2018
Meet our new Chief Election Commissioner @Gotham3 @akashbanerjee @sardesairajdeep @dhruv_rathee @VishalDadlani @thetanmay https://t.co/qxIQdZru5o
— Vivid Bharthi (@VividBharthi) April 12, 2018
Indian Democracy just got another saviour: Crook Mark Zuckerberg
— Sasidharan Pazhoor (@inquestioner) April 12, 2018
Will ensure fair elections take place in India: Zuckerberg at senate hearing.
— LATPOT BABA (@latpot10) April 11, 2018
😂😂 When did Mark Zuckerberg appointed as CEC of India Mr.President? Ah!! Mr. PM @narendramodi you know it better right? 😂😂 https://t.co/qtUKECdP1wSounds as if Indian elections 2018-19 were to be held under professional guidance of Facebook Corp? Seems like a serious breach and GOI shd probe the matter forthwith #CambridgeAnalytica #DataChorFiles https://t.co/UTvuiadbeo
— Napaladin (@napaladin) April 11, 2018
Zuckerberg was summoned by the US Senate after a whistleblower from British election propaganda firm Cambridge Analytica came out in the open alleging that the firm had influenced elections with the help of data leaked from Facebook.
During the testimony, Zuckerberg reportedly apologized several times for Facebook's failures and conceded that Facebook must work harder at ensuring the tools it creates are used in "good and healthy" ways.
"We have made a lot of mistakes in running the company," Zuckerberg was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, experts say that social media users in India have yet to learn ways to protect their privacy.
READ MORE: India Refuses Permission to Google for 'Street View' App
"In the Indian context, data leak is obvious because users lack the basic discretion about what information can be conceded and what all need to be protected. Facebook controversy is just the tip of the iceberg," Prof Pulok Ghosh, head of the statistics department of IIM Bangalore, told Sputnik.
The US senate committee is also investigating Facebook's role in influencing the 2016 US presidential election that brought Donald Trump to power.
