Zuckerberg ‘ sorry’ to EU MPs for data leak

Brussels, May 22: Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg apologised to European Union legislators on Tuesday for a massive data leak, in his latest attempt to draw a line under a scandal that has rocked the world’s biggest social media network.

Mr Zuckerberg agreed to meet leaders of the European Parliament to answer questions about how political consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly got hold of the personal data of 87 million Facebook users, including up to 2.7 million in the EU.

In his opening remarks, Mr Zuckerberg said it had “become clear over the last couple of years that we haven’t done enough to prevent the tools we’ve built from being used for harm as well.”

“Whether it’s fake news, foreign interference in elections or developers misusing people’s information, we didn’t take abroad enough view of our responsibilities. That was a mistake, and I’m sorry.”

His comments, sitting at a circular table with EU Parliament leaders, dressed in a suit, tie and white shirt, echo an apology last month to US legislators.

But questions remain over how Facebook let the leak happen and whether it is doing enough to prevent a recurrence.

Mr Zuckerberg’s appearance in Brussels comes three days before tough new EU rules on data protection take effect. Companies will be subject to fines of up to 4 percent of global turnover for breaching them.

British lawmakers want their European counterparts to quiz Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about a scandal over the improper use of millions of Facebook users’ data, as he will not give evidence in London himself. Zuckerberg will be in Europe to defend the company after alleged misuse of its data by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consultancy that worked on US President Donald Trump’s election campaign.

But while he will answer questions from lawmakers in Brussels on Tuesday, and is meeting French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, he has so far declined to answer questions from British lawmakers, either in person or via video link. Damian Collins, chair of the British parliament’s media committee, said on Tuesday that he believed Zuckerberg should still appear before British lawmakers.

“But if Mark Zuckerberg chooses not to address our questions directly, we are asking colleagues at the European Parliament to help us get answers — particularly on who knew what at the company, and when, about the data breach and the non- transparent use of political adverts which continue to undermine our democracy,” he said in a statement. Last month, Facebook Chief Technical Officer Mike Schroepfer appeared before Collins’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee, which is investigating fake news. But the lawmakers have said his testimony and subsequent written answers from the firm to follow- up questions have been inadequate.

Collins outlined deficiencies in Facebook’s answers so far in a letter to Rebecca Stimson, head of public policy at Facebook UK, which has been shared with the EU lawmakers who will quiz Zuckerberg. Damian Collins requested a response from Facebook to his questions by June 4. — Reuters