Facebook CEO meeting live

– Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to livestream his meeting with European Parliament members as he answers questions in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a top official said yesterday.

The meeting today with the parliament’s most senior members was initially set to be held behind closed doors.

But influential MEPs had pushed for a public hearing following the worst crisis in Facebook’s history.

“I have personally discussed with Facebook CEO Zuckerberg the possibilty of webstreaming the meeting with him,” the parliament’s leader, Antonio Tajani, wrote on Twitter.

“I am glad to announce that he has accepted this new request. Great news for EU citizens,” he added.

Tajani had invited Zuckerberg, saying the 2.7 million EU citizens affected by the data-sharing scandal deserved a full explanation.

The visit comes as the EU is introducing tough new data protection rules later this month, which Facebook said it will comply with.

Facebook admitted earlier that up to 87 million users may have had their data hijacked by British consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, which comes into effect on May 25, aims to give users more control over their personal information. – AFP