Meta has apologized after an automated translation error on its social media platforms falsely stated that the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, had died.
The mistake occurred when a condolence message he posted in Kannada was translated into English, incorrectly suggesting his death.
The original post was intended to mourn the passing of a well-known actress. However, the English translation that appeared on Facebook and Instagram led to confusion, prompting immediate concern among users.
Meta confirmed that it had resolved the issue, attributing the error to a temporary problem in its translation system. The company acknowledged the inaccuracy and expressed regret over the incident.
Following the error, Siddaramaiah criticized Meta’s Kannada translation tool for spreading misinformation and misrepresenting official content.
He raised concerns about the risks of inaccurate translations in public communication and stressed the importance of ensuring linguistic precision.
His media advisor, K. V. Prabhakar, sent an official letter to Meta requesting the temporary suspension of Kannada auto-translations until their accuracy is improved. The letter also called for collaboration with language experts to enhance the system’s reliability.
Meta has not yet announced whether it will pause Kannada translations while improvements are made.
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