Zuckerberg quizzed on data on Capitol Hill
Facebook CEO offers apology
WASHINGTON — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg survived the first of two days of congressional grilling, conceding that the social media platform is “responsible” for the content it disseminates — a reversal from his past stance that it merely offers a platform for others — but stopping short of embracing regulation.
In a wide-ranging hearing, and facing questioning from 44 senators from the Judiciary and Commerce committees, Zuckerberg said the company put in place new safeguards in the wake of a host of data privacy problems, from unauthorized data mining by Cambridge Analytica to the dissemination of ads and fake news reports by Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Zuckerberg also said Facebook executives are “working with” special counsel Robert Mueller over its role in Russian election meddling, though he said he himself had not yet been interviewed by Mueller or his team, and was unsure whether the company had been subpoenaed.
He also apologized for not acting sooner to address the problems.
That did little to quell the concerns of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who openly questioned whether Facebook violated the terms of a Federal Trade Commission consent order — which could result in hefty fines — as well as whether it operates as a monopoly.
“I appreciate the apology, but I just don’t think it goes far enough,” Bay State U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III told the Herald.
Kennedy, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee who will question Zuckerberg today in his second day of public hearings, said he believes in regulating Facebook and other social media platforms “in proportion to the risk” that they pose.
And that risk, Kennedy said, is substantial “given the enormous power that Facebook has, and they are not alone.
“What we are learning is that the level of information that can be generated from a platform like Facebook is far beyond what people realized,” the Brookline Democrat said.
But Zuckerberg stopped sort of embracing specific legislation introduced by lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey, vowing instead to work with lawmakers more generally.
That wasn’t enough for Markey, who pressed Zuckerberg on whether Facebook and other platforms should be legally required to obtain consent from the parents of users under 16 before their information can be used, shared or sold, as would be required under a bill he sponsors.
“As a general principle, I think that protecting minors and protecting their privacy is important,
Zuckerberg said. “I’m not sure we need a law.”
“I couldn’t disagree with you more,” the Malden Democrat said. “We’re leaving these children to the most rapacious commercial predators in the country who will exploit these children unless we have a law on the books.”
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (RS.C.), asked Zuckerberg if it was a monopoly without a clear competitor, making it less likely to respond on its own in the face of privacy concerns.
“It certainly doesn’t feel that way to me,” Zuckerberg responded.
Graham told reporters that Facebook, with its massive size and reach, “has created, in many ways, a monster.”
He said that new European regulations, set to go into effect May 25 that would require users to give consent before their information is used, may not be a cure-all for the problems posed by Facebook. But, Graham said, “It’s a good start.”