Clegg summoned over Facebook plans

SIR NICK CLEGG is to be summoned to parliament to give evidence on Facebook’s plans to encrypt its Messenger service, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.

The science and technology select committee voted this morning to hold an extraordinary session on the company’s plans, which the Home Secretary criticised last week as potentially creating a “digital blind spot” for terrorists and paedophiles to exploit.

Sir Norman Lamb, the committee’s chairman, said MPS wanted a Facebook employee of Sir Nick’s seniority to give evidence due to the “significance” of the decision to introduce encryption.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Sir Norman said: “We have decided to proceed with the evidence session on the encryption issue and will be asking Nick Clegg to give evidence along with a minister. This is obviously a highly significant decision by [Facebook].

“It is important that there be parliamentary scrutiny … We decided to call him as we want to understand how [Facebook] will balance the competing interests between privacy, security and law enforcement.”

Facebook is facing intense criticism over plans to implement end-to-end encryption in Messenger, which has more than one billion users worldwide.

Announcing the decision this year, Mr Zuckerberg said it would mean even Facebook would be unable to see what users were sending to each other.

Last week Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, wrote to Mr Zuckerberg warning the move would make it harder for police to catch terrorists and abusers.

She said: “Companies should not design their platforms to create a digital blind spot where paedophiles and terrorists have free rein to conceal their despicable crimes.

“This is not about just one company. However, we are particularly concerned about Facebook’s current proposal to apply end-to-end encryption across its messaging services.”

Sir Nick joined the social media giant last year as its head of global affairs and communications, reporting directly to its 35-year-old CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Facebook said it would respond once it received the invitation.