Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg condemned comments made by Marc Andreessen, a prominent venture capitalist and Facebook board director.
In a series of tweets Andreessen had condemned the Indian government for banning the social media company’s free Internet service programme – Free Basics.
“I found the comments deeply upsetting, and they do not represent the way Facebook or I think at all,” Zuckerberg said, adding that India was “personally” important to him and the company.
Dozens of Twitter users had blasted Andreessen for his comments, which he deleted and apologised for on Wednesday.
India had introduced rules on Monday preventing Internet service providers from having different pricing policies for accessing different parts of the Web, effectively dismantling Facebook’s Free Basics program, which offers a pared-back version of Internet service.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)