Facebook CEO Zuckerberg testifies before Congress over privacy scandal
- 6 years ago
Now for a look at stories making headlines around the world… and we start in the U.S.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before lawmakers in an attempt to shake off his firm's biggest privacy scandal to date.
For more on this and other international news we turn to our Ro Aram…
Aram…Zuckerberg is making his debut appearance in Congress… what's he been saying so far?
Well Semin… Zuckerberg is being grilled on a range of issues, including Facebook's handling of alleged Russian election meddling and hate speech.
But the main and biggest issue by far is consumer privacy.
Most of the Senators questions have been focused on how personal data of 87 million users was harvested by the British consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica.
Cambridge Analytica was hired by President Trump during the campaign and is accused of using that data to influence voters - which it denies.
Zuckerberg started the hearing by apologizing for that incident….
"We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."
The Facebook chief has explained that an app developer, Aleksandr Kogan, got users' permission to use their data for a quiz app, but breached terms of service by selling that information to Cambridge Analytica.
Senator Bill Nelson asked why users were not notified of the sale of their data and this was Zuckerberg's answer…
"Senator, when we heard back from Cambridge Analytica that they had told us that they weren't using the data and had deleted it, we considered it a closed case. In retrospect, that was clearly a mistake. We shouldn't have taken their word for it and we've updated our policies in how we're going to operate the company to make sure that we don't make that mistake again."
Zuckerberg is not only trying to restore public trust in his company but also to fend off possible regulations that some lawmakers have floated.
He is scheduled to testify again on Wednesday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before lawmakers in an attempt to shake off his firm's biggest privacy scandal to date.
For more on this and other international news we turn to our Ro Aram…
Aram…Zuckerberg is making his debut appearance in Congress… what's he been saying so far?
Well Semin… Zuckerberg is being grilled on a range of issues, including Facebook's handling of alleged Russian election meddling and hate speech.
But the main and biggest issue by far is consumer privacy.
Most of the Senators questions have been focused on how personal data of 87 million users was harvested by the British consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica.
Cambridge Analytica was hired by President Trump during the campaign and is accused of using that data to influence voters - which it denies.
Zuckerberg started the hearing by apologizing for that incident….
"We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."
The Facebook chief has explained that an app developer, Aleksandr Kogan, got users' permission to use their data for a quiz app, but breached terms of service by selling that information to Cambridge Analytica.
Senator Bill Nelson asked why users were not notified of the sale of their data and this was Zuckerberg's answer…
"Senator, when we heard back from Cambridge Analytica that they had told us that they weren't using the data and had deleted it, we considered it a closed case. In retrospect, that was clearly a mistake. We shouldn't have taken their word for it and we've updated our policies in how we're going to operate the company to make sure that we don't make that mistake again."
Zuckerberg is not only trying to restore public trust in his company but also to fend off possible regulations that some lawmakers have floated.
He is scheduled to testify again on Wednesday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.