UK MPs demand Zuckerberg testify on data row after he offers deputy
AFP • March 26, 2018
London (AFP) - British MPs renewed a demand on Tuesday to
interview Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg over a data privacy row that has
rocked the social media giant, after he responded to an earlier request by
offering to send one of his deputies.
Damian Collins, the chairman of the House of Commons
digital, culture and media committee, said the seriousness of the allegations
meant it was "appropriate" for Zuckerberg to offer an explanation
himself, whether in person or via video-link.
His comments came amid renewed pressure from the European
Union to disclose more details about how up to 50 million users' data are alleged
to have been taken from Facebook and used in political campaigns.
In a letter published by the British committee on
Tuesday, Facebook offered to send chief technology office Mike Schroepfer or
chief product officer Chris Cox to London next month to provide answers.
"We'd be very happy to invite Mr Cox to give
evidence. However we would still like to hear from Mr Zuckerberg as well,"
Collins said at the start of a committee hearing on Tuesday.
"We will seek to clarify with Facebook whether he is
available to give evidence or not, because that wasn't clear from our
correspondence.
"And if he is available to give evidence, then we
would be happy to do that either in person or via video link if that would be
more convenient for him."
The EU has given the social media giant two weeks to
answer its own queries over the scandal, which has heavily hit Facebook's share
price and raised major questions over how social media companies use private
data.
EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova wrote to Facebook
chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, asking what measures the company plans
to take to prevent a similar scandal.
She also asked whether stricter rules were needed for
companies like Facebook as exist for traditional media, and whether it would
change its approach on transparency toward users and regulators.
- Address questions 'at senior level' -
Facebook insists it did not know the data taken from its
site were being used by a British company, Cambridge Analytica, which worked on
US President Donald Trump's election campaign among others.
However, its rules at the time allowed an app developed
by an academic researcher, which was downloaded by an estimated 270,000 people,
to take information from millions of their friends.
In her letter, Rebecca Stimson, head of public policy for
Facebook UK, revealed that the tech giant was working with regulators around
the world to assess how many people in each country were affected.
"We can now confirm that around one percent of the
global downloads of the app came from users in the EU, including the UK,"
she wrote.
Amid investigations by lawmakers in Europe and the United
States, Zuckerberg has taken out adverts in US, British and German newspapers
in recent days apologising for the "breach of trust".
But the company is struggling to contain the growing
crisis.
US consumer protection agency, the Federal Trade
Commission, on Monday confirmed it had opened an investigation into whether
Facebook mishandled private data or violated a 2011 agreement which settled an
earlier probe.
In her letter to the British committee, Stimson said:
"Facebook fully recognizes the level of public and parliamentary interest
in these issues and support your belief that these issues must be addressed at
the most senior levels of the company by those in an authoritative position to
answer your questions.
"As such, Mr Zuckerberg has personally asked one of
his deputies to make themselves available to give evidence in person to the
committee."
She said either Schroepfer or Cox could attend
"straight after the Easter parliamentary recess", meaning April 16 at
the earliest.
Comments
Post a Comment