Political panel ‘troubled’ by Zuckerberg’s no-show

Politicians from all over the world, representing about 450 million people, gathered in London Tuesday to grill Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The only problem? The chair behind Zuckerberg’s nameplate was empty after he refused the invitation.

With a vice-president taking Zuckerberg’s place, Ontario NDP MP Charlie Angus kicked off the ill-tempered proceedings by complaining that democratic institutions have been upended by “billionaire frat boys from California.”

Politicians from Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Brazil and other countries picked up on the tone set by Angus and peppered Richard Allan, the vicepresident for policy solutions at Facebook, with questions about Zuckerberg’s absence.

Here’s why the extraordinary committee was convened and what the countries were trying to accomplish.

WHAT IS THIS COMMITTEE?

It’s been dubbed the “international grand committee meeting on disinformation and fake news,” but it’s really looking into the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Facebook’s effect on democratic systems.

In Canada, the privacy committee has been pursuing its own investigation into Cambridge Analytica and has been working in tandem with the British digital committee due to the global nature of the internet and the companies that thrive on it.

As countries around the world investigated these issues, Zuckerberg argued he can’t possibly attend all of the hearings and this international committee was designed to provide a single venue where he could address many of them. Zuckerberg, though, declined the invitation.

WHAT WERE THEY TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?

The intent seems to be almost entirely to get Zuckerberg to testify or at least put him in the awkward position of having to decline.

The Canadian committee’s interest has sprawled from a focus on the breach of data by political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, to Facebook’s response to the breach to broader issues with social media and electoral institutions. The committee has even heard testimony about the world’s data industrial complex, which is sucking up information about people and marketing or selling it.

The committee has already provided recommendations for new privacy rules in Canada — some of which were declined by the government — and will release a final report in the next month or so.

WHY DIDN’T ZUCKERBERG SHOW UP?

Angus kicked off the questions by accusing the Facebook founder of deciding to “blow off ” the committee and not being accountable for his company’s actions. Allan, who is also a member of the British House of Lords, gave his apologies for Zuckerberg and agreed it’s “not great” he didn’t attend.

“I am growing increasingly troubled by the lack of respect Mr. Zuckerberg and Facebook continue to show our nations," said Canadian privacy committee chair Bob Zimmer, a B.C. Conservative MP.

WAS ANYTHING RESOLVED TUESDAY?

Although Allan spent most of the committee walking a tightrope by admitting to certain errors while defending Facebook’s actions in other areas, the threehour committee did provide some insight into how the company sees the issue of data privacy on a massive social platform.

Liberal MP Nathaniel ErskineSmith asked Allan if Facebook should be held responsible for illegal activity on the platform and Allan replied “we need to get to the right balance on where our responsibilities” lie.

Facebook shouldn’t be responsible for everything that happens on the platform, but it “can’t be exempt from everything either,” said Allan.

In one tense exchange, ErskineSmith read a statement from Facebook about its commitment to cracking down on “bad actors.

“Has it occurred to you that in relation to privacy Facebook may be becoming one of these bad actors?” asked Erskine-smith.

“I don’t believe we are,” said Allan.