Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has claimed that he was “almost sentenced to death in Pakistan” after facing legal action over blasphemous content posted on his social media platform.
Speaking in a recent interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg discussed the challenges social media platforms face due to differing legal frameworks worldwide. He cited Pakistan as an example, stating that criminal proceedings were initiated against him after blasphemous content—specifically a drawing of the Prophet Muhammad—was shared on Facebook.
“There are laws in different countries that we disagree with. For example, there was a time when someone was trying to get me sentenced to death in Pakistan because someone on Facebook had a drawing of the Prophet Muhammad, and someone said that’s blasphemy in our culture’. They sued me and opened criminal proceedings… But I am not planning to go to Pakistan, so I’m not worried about it,” Zuckerberg said.
Mark Zuckerberg: There was someone trying to have me sentenced to death in Pakistan for blasphemy. They opened criminal proceedings against me. I don’t know when, I’m just not planning to go to Pakistan, so I’m not worried about it. pic.twitter.com/er8Fx9Rp93
— PREM.⚡️ (@TweetsOfPR) February 10, 2025
While acknowledging that the situation was unsettling, Zuckerberg remarked that flying over the region posed a potential risk, saying, “It’s not great if you’re flying over that region, you don’t want your plane to go down above Pakistan.”
He further highlighted broader concerns about government interference in free speech, arguing that some nations seek to impose restrictions on content that would otherwise be considered legitimate expression. “To have those governments exert that kind of power is a lot of force,” he said, calling on the US government to support American tech companies facing such challenges abroad.
Zuckerberg’s remarks come just weeks after Meta announced sweeping changes to its content moderation policies, including the removal of fact-checkers across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The company’s new approach will focus on addressing high-severity violations such as terrorism, child exploitation, and drug-related offences, while promoting a policy of “more speech” by easing certain restrictions on mainstream discussions.
The overhaul has been widely praised by figures such as former US President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who have previously criticized Meta’s content policies.
(With inputs from India Today)
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