Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg won't appear before MPs' fake news inquiry
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Loading... - Kelly Cable
- 27 Mar 2021
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Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has declined an invitation to give evidence before MPs investigating fake news.
The CEO was called before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee who are probing the harvesting of Facebook user data by shady data firm Cambridge Analytica (CA).
But this morning, a Facebook spokesperson wrote committee chair Damian Collins, to tell them Zuckerberg won't be coming to London.
Instead, he may send the company's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or Chief Product Officer (CPO).
The spokesperson wrote: "Facebook fully recognises the level of public and Parliamentary interest in these issues and support your belief that these issues must be addressed at the most senior levels of the company by those in an authoritative position to answer your questions.
"As such, Mr Zuckerberg has personally asked one of his deputies to make themselves available to give evidence in person to the Committee."
Angry committee chairman Damian Collins said yesterday: “We believe, given the serious nature of the allegations that have been made around the access and use of Facebook for data that it’s appropriate that Mark Zuckerberg should give evidence to the committee.
“He’s suggested that Chris Cox the chief product officer, at Facebook, could come to London to give evidence to the committee in the first week after the recess.
“However, we would still like to hear from Mr Zuckerberg as well.
“We will seek to clarify with Facebook whether he’s available to give evidence or not.
“If he’s available to give evidence then we would happy for him to do that either in person or by video link if that would be easier for him.”
The letter also outlined how many people in the EU downloaded the personality app that gave user account data to CA.
The letter reportedly reveals fewer than 1% of the total downloads were in the EU - though that would only count the accounts who directly granted access to the app.
The app also hoovered up data from friends of those accounts - meaning the total number harvested is estimated to be around 50 million worldwide.
Whistleblower Christopher Wylie will give evidence before the committee this morning.
