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Comment by osrec | Hacker News Reader

Not sure how true the contents of the article are, however Modi was rather pally with Mark Zuckerberg during his time in India. Read into that what you will!

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He is like that with every top dignitary visiting India. It's just diplomacy. Don't read too much into it.

Read this article for more such instances: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/modi-s-hug-diploma...

Exactly. Infact, he was even pal-ly with Nawaz Sharif (the then PM of Pakistan and therefore India's sworn enemy #1). I wouldn't read into anything inferred from diplomatic compulsions.

I think you are reading too little into it, especially considering the impact Facebook had on the US election.

Your comment was about Modi and Zuckerberg not Facebook and US election. Facebook had zero impact on Modi's election. It was anti-incumbency followed by a strong track record of Modi as Chief Minister for 3 terms that made the difference. On the contrary, Trump has zero track record and yet got elected to the highest office.

I'm sorry, but are the parallels not obvious? Facebook is a tool used to influence people. Politicians need the ability to influence people. Ergo, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Modi would prefer to be a friend, rather than foe, of Facebook. Diplomacy aside, all I'm pointing out is that he has something to gain by having Facebook on his side (at least prior to recent events involving Facebook).

The gain isn't significant at all. At least in comparison to that of Donald Trump. Sure, Modi would prefer to be friends with everyone, including Facebook. That doesn't however automatically make him liable for spying on a billion plus Indians. That's stretching the argument too far. Just because Facebook was used as a tool to influence people in the US doesn't mean the same happened in India. Modi came to power purely because of the scam ridden and corrupt regime that existed previously and his track record of 3 terms as Chief Minister (spanning 15 years of real progress and development). Back then, Modi was a pariah in the US. He was denied visa by the US until he became the Prime Minister of India.

In fact, to make matters worse, Facebook's Free Basics service was outlawed by Modi Government. If he was a friend of Facebook, he would have enacted laws that helped Facebook. This happened after Zuckerberg's visit to India. Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/08/india-fac...

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