Facebook founder and chief executive officer, Mark Zuckerberg, foiled attempts by United States Senators to pin him down when he appeared before a joint Congress hearing on activities of Cambridge Analytica illegally mining users data on the social media platform.
TheNewsGuru reports Zuckerberg appeared before Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees on Tuesday followed by a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday.
Zuckerberg refused to submit to suggestions by Congress members that Facebook users do not have enough control of their data on the social media platform in the wake of the data privacy scandal.
“Every time that someone chooses to share something on Facebook… there is a control. Right there. Not buried in the settings somewhere but right there,” he told the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.
Zuckerberg revealed to Congress that his own personal data was included in that of 87 million or so Facebook users that was improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica by Cambridge University Professor named Aleksandr Kogan using ‘This Is Your Digital Life’ personality quiz app.
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On Monday, Zuckerberg told Congress that the social media platform is doing a lot to protect users’ private data, but succumbed the network should have done more to prevent itself and its members’ data from being misused.
“It was my mistake, and I’m sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I’m responsible for what happens here. We didn’t take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake,” he said in remarks released by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on Monday.
On Tuesday, Zuckerberg made no further promises to the US lawmakers to support any new legislation or change how the social media network does business.
During the nearly five hours of questioning by 44 US senators, the Facebook founder repeatedly apologized for the privacy scandal, from a lack of data protection to Russian agents using Facebook to influencing elections around the globe, including Nigeria’s 2015 general elections.
Lawmakers sought assurances that Facebook can effectively police itself, and few came away from Tuesday’s hearing expressing confidence in the social network.
“I don’t want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God, I will,” Republican Senator John Kennedy told Zuckerberg on Tuesday, adding: “A lot of that depends on you”.
Zuckerberg deflected requests to support specific legislation.
Pressed nonstop by Democratic Senator Ed Markey to endorse a proposed law that would require companies to get people’s permission before sharing personal information, Zuckerberg, however, agreed to further talks.
“In principle, I think that makes sense, and the details matter, and I look forward to having our team work with you on fleshing that out,” Zuckerberg said.
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