Meta’s CEO mentioned on the Joe Rogan Podcast that he faced a death sentence in Pakistan for violating blasphemy laws through Facebook and a lawsuit was filed against him, but he isn’t worried as he has no plans to visit Pakistan.
The Joe Rogan Podcast
In the podcast with Joe Rogan, Meta CEO revealed that his company is currently facing many legal issues in the country, Pakistan, over the hosting of blasphemous content on Facebook. He said explaining how he was almost sentenced to death in Pakistan because of a blasphemy law breach, “There are laws in different countries that we disagree with.
For example, there was a point at which someone was trying to get me sentenced to death in Pakistan because someone on Facebook had a picture where they had a drawing of Prophet Mohammed, and someone said, ‘That’s blasphemy in our culture.’ They sued me and opened this criminal proceeding,”
In this episode, Zuckerberg emphasized Meta’s core objective of supporting free speech while adhering to the local laws and cultural norms of different countries. He specifically mentioned Pakistan as an example, where a lawsuit argued that Facebook permitted content that breached blasphemy laws, which impose severe penalties for such religious offenses. Later, Zuckerberg lightened the mood by saying, “I don’t know exactly where it went because I’m just not planning to go to Pakistan, so I was not that worried about it.”
Stricter Content Regulations Across Countries
Zuckerberg discussed the growing pressure on technology companies due to stricter content regulations, describing that he said, “The point is, there are places around the world that just have different values that go against our free expression values and want us to crack down and ban way more stuff than I think a lot of people would believe would be the right thing to do. To have those governments be able to exert the power of saying they’re going to throw you in prison – that’s a lot of force.
He expressed his concerns regarding the American government’s need to enhance support for overseas companies. He pointed out that the power exerted by those foreign governments is significant, suggesting that it is essential for the US government to take measures to protect American tech companies in international markets.
Pakistani Reaction
Citizens of Pakistan are viewing Mark’s comments about their country as a ‘global embarrassment.’ Many are even advocating for reform in the blasphemy laws. Furthermore, they have labeled certain groups as ‘blasphemy gangs,’ accusing them of misusing these laws and damaging the country’s image on an international scale.
A user said supporting similar claims, “When even a billionaire like Mark Zuckerberg acknowledges Pakistan’s blasphemy hysteria as a threat, imagine the fear ordinary Pakistanis live under. These blasphemy gangs, backed by state inaction, have turned the country into a nightmare for free speech.”
One of the users on Platform X wrote, commenting on the matter, pointing at the irony that people who have committed terror activities and blackmailing as well as demolishing of mosques are still roaming around free. Here they tried to sentence these foreign companies expecting foreign investments in Pakistan
Haripriya Mishra is a journalist deeply interested in world news and geopolitics. She likes to explore the complexities of global affairs and strives to bring clarity to these issues through thoughtful journalism. Through her writing, she intends to raise the right questions, fostering informed discussions about national and international matters. Haripriya aims to use journalism as a platform to connect with people, share diverse perspectives, and contribute to a deeper understanding of global issues. She is committed to producing content that is accurate, ethical, and impactful. She enjoys creative writing and reflecting on the nuances of media and storytelling.
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