Zuckerberg on Capitol Hill to Meet Lawmakers Ahead of Congressional Hearings

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg will meet with lawmakers ahead of his scheduled hearings this week to discuss the company’s recent privacy scandal.

On Monday morning, Zuckerberg met with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), who will reportedly make remarks after his meeting with the social media giant executive.

Facebook’s reputation plummeted after reports revealed data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica used the social media platform to gain access to the personal data of more than 87 million users. A recent Reuters poll suggests that only 41 percent of consumers trust Facebook to comply with American privacy laws.

The Facebook head also released his full testimony for the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Monday.

Zuckerberg testified, “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 CEO will testify before the Senate Judiciary and the Senate Commerce Committees on April 10 at 2:15 p.m. Eastern.

In a statement, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) declared, “Facebook now plays a critical role in many social relationships, informing Americans about current events, and pitching everything from products to political candidates.”

On April 11, Zuckerberg will also appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee “regarding the company’s use and protection of user data.”

“This hearing will be an important opportunity to shed light on critical consumer data privacy issues and help all Americans better understand what happens to their personal information online,” House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and ranking member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) declared in a statement. “We appreciate Mr. Zuckerberg’s willingness to testify before the committee, and we look forward to him answering our questions on April 11th.”

Read the rest of Zuckerberg’s testimony here.

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