Zuckerberg faces Washington grilling over data scandal

MARK Zuckerberg will testify before US politicians next week, a first for the Facebook chief, when he is set to face heavy criticism over the social network’s use of personal data.

Congressmen on the House energy and commerce committee will question Zuckerberg on Wednesday morning, the committee’s leaders have announced.

The Facebook founder has been under pressure to face politicians since the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke last month, raising new questions about how Facebook has protected its two billion users and their personal data.

Millions of people had their data incorrectly passed to the British election consultants several years ago, after fewer than 200 000 Facebook users downloaded a quiz app in 2013 that harvested data about their friends.

Facebook has been accused of failing to ensure that Cambridge Analytica deleted the data after ordering the company to do so in 2015.

The British firm allegedly used the data to boost Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign.

Technology bosses rarely appear in front of Washington hearings in person, and have been criticised by US politicians for sending their top lawyers instead.

Zuckerberg has often left Washington manoeuvring to his chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, who has represented Facebook at previous political summits and his appearance next week will be a first in front of US politicians.

He may also face US senators in a separate hearing next week, although this is yet to be confirmed.

Zuckerberg’s willingness to appear in Washington jars with his reluctance to face British MPs, who have twice demanded he appear in front of the digital, culture, media and sport select committee.

Last week, committee chairman Damian Collins said it was absolutely astonishing that he was not prepared to appear in person.

This week, Facebook said it had deleted hundreds of pages and accounts linked to a Russian “troll factory” accused of posting fake news and political posts during the 2016 US presidential election, in a further attempt to regain its reputation.

Meanwhile, Germany’s justice minister yesterday accused Facebook of unethical behaviour and said it should face a strong European response over the huge data leak, involving millions more users than initially thought.

“Facebook is a network of intransparency,” Katarina Barley said. “Ethical convictions have fallen victim to commercial interests.”

She called for a clear reaction from European states over the firm’s misuse of private information.

Some 310 000 users in Germany were among the 87 million people whose personal data was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, a Facebook spokesman said.

Media reports had initially suggested the data of some 50 million users had been hijacked in the privacy scandal.

New European Union regulations were already due to take effect next month which aim to force social media firms to better protect users’ online privacy or face fines of up to 4% of annual revenues.

But Barley said the tough new measures may not go far enough. – The Telegraph, with additional reporting by AFP