Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been on the international most-wanted-to-testify list about the release of information on about 50 million users. So far, he has avoided responding to U.S. legislative calls to testify and for regulation of his huge company. He may not be able to hold out much longer. This is why the world is demanding he show up in person.
British Conservative party member, Damian Collins MP, has been the lead in an investigation into Cambridge Analytica and Facebook’s influence on Brexit. He said both companies have testified, but neither was “sufficiently forthcoming,” according to The Washington Post. He released a statement:
‘I will be writing to Mark Zuckerberg asking that either he, or another senior executive from the company, appear to give evidence in front of the Committee as part our inquiry. It is not acceptable that they have previously sent witnesses who seek to avoid asking difficult questions by claiming not to know the answers. This also creates a false reassurance that Facebook’s stated policies are always robust and effectively policed.’
Britain has been way ahead of the U.S. in investigation this, creating restrictions, and seeking responsible testimony.
The justice commissioner for the European Union (EU), Věra Jourová, has been scheduled to come to the U.S.. She tweeted that the reports were “horrifying,” the Washington Post reported:
‘(The reports are) horrifying, if confirmed, (she needs) further clarifications from #Facebook to understand this problem better.’
There have been calls for Zuckerberg, to testify in Britain and the U.S. Yet, he has remained silent throughout the entire outcry. The company released a statement about its reinvigorated investigation into Cambridge Analytica’s mismanagement of people’s data.
Facebook deputy general counsel, Paul Grewal, said that the company was doing “internal and external reviews:”
‘We are in the process of conducting a comprehensive internal and external review as we work to determine the accuracy of the claims that the Facebook data in question still exists. That is where our focus lies as we remain committed to vigorously enforcing our policies to protect people’s information.’
Controversial political groups used Zuckerberg’s company’s company for ill purposes:
‘A Russian disinformation campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential race — has intensified. He (Zuckerberg) has written blog posts and spoken by video link from Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. But Zuckerberg has not yet been exposed to the rough-and-tumble of legislative questioning, designating that job to senior attorneys such as general counsel Colin Stretch.’
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) told NBC’s Meet The Press that these mega-companies think the rules simply do not apply to them:
‘Sometimes, these companies grow so fast, and get so much good press, they get up high on themselves, that they start to think perhaps they’re above the rules that apply to everybody else,’
Russian American professor, Aleksandr Kogan, involved Facebook with his app:
‘The new controversy stems from the actions in 2014 and 2015 of a Russian American professor, Aleksandr Kogan, working for Cambridge Analytica. His app, called thisisyourdigitallife, offered personality predictions and billed itself on Facebook as “a research app used by psychologists.”’
Facebook user information went to the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, Kogan, including “likes, friend lists, and other data. Cambridge Analytica got its hands on that information and weaponized it to target people with individualized messages, ads or fundraising requests” during the Donald Trump presidential campaign.
Facebook suspended Kogan and a former Cambridge Analytica employee from the social media platform. Cambridge Analytica has continued to deny any misuse of Facebook data or any wrongdoing.
Cambridge Analytica released a statement that it had “not knowingly” infringed upon Facebook’s terms of service:
“We worked with Facebook over this period to ensure that they were satisfied that we had not knowingly breached any of Facebook’s terms of service and also provided a signed statement to confirm that all Facebook data and their derivatives had been deleted.’
The highest-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-CA). repeated the request for Zuckerberg to come in person to testify on Capitol Hill:
‘I think it would be beneficial to have him come testify before the appropriate oversight committees, and not just Mark but the other CEOs of the other major companies that operate in this space. There’s still a lot we’re learning about foreign issues on these platforms.’
Featured Image via Getty Images.
