Meta faced intense criticism after its automatic translation tool erroneously declared Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah dead while translating a condolence message he posted on Facebook. The blunder occurred when the platform´s Kannada auto-translation feature distorted the original message, leading to widespread misinformation and prompting the chief minister to demand immediate action from Meta.
Reacting promptly, Siddaramaiah called on Meta to suspend the Kannada auto-translation service, highlighting that such inaccuracies pose a risk of misleading users, especially when it pertains to official communication. In response, Meta issued a public apology for the incident and claimed that the translation issue was fixed. The platform acknowledged the seriousness of the matter, stating, ´We fixed an issue that briefly caused this inaccurate Kannada translation. We apologise that this happened.´ Siddaramaiah´s office, through his media advisor, sent a formal communication to Meta requesting immediate corrective measures and greater responsibility in handling regional language translations.
Amid growing scrutiny of big technology platforms, Siddaramaiah also cautioned citizens to remain vigilant regarding the reliability of translations provided by social media services. He warned that errors in auto-translation features could distort facts and potentially compromise public trust, especially during sensitive official matters. The Karnataka government has officially requested a temporary suspension of Kannada auto-translation features until their accuracy is sufficiently enhanced. Currently, Facebook and Instagram users encounter machine translations of content, including public biographical information, reinforcing the urgency for technology firms to address such vulnerabilities and ensure responsible digital communication across languages.
