AgenciesFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg began a two-day congressional inquisition Tuesday with a public apology for a privacy scandal that has roiled the social media giant he founded more than a decade ago.
Zuckerberg opened his remarks before the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees by taking responsibility for failing to prevent Cambridge Analytica, a data-mining firm affiliated with Donald Trump's presidential campaign, from gathering personal information from 87 million users to try to influence elections.
In the hearings, Zuckerberg not only tried to restore public trust in his company but also to stave off federal regulations that some lawmakers have floated. In his opening statement to senators, he also apologized for fake news, hate speech, a lack of data privacy and Russian social media interference in the 2016 elections.
The Senate hearing ended just past 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT), and a second session before a House of Representatives committee is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT).
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT ZUCKERBERG SAID BEFORE US CONGRESS DURING HEARING:
Facebook going through 'philosophical shift'
Mark Zuckerberg told US senators that the company was attempting to change in light of recent criticism, as he attempted to forestall any strict legislation aimed at the world's largest social network.
"We are going through a broad philosophical shift at the company," said Zuckerberg, wearing a dark suit and tie instead of his typical T-shirt and jeans.
John Thune, chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee, struck an adversarial tone in his opening remarks. "In the past, many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have been willing to defer to tech companies' efforts to regulate themselves. But this may be changing," he said.
Facebook is not a monopoly
Zuckerberg told lawmakers that he does not believe his company is a monopoly. Zuckerberg rejected the suggestion in a Senate hearing that the social media giant, with over two billion users worldwide, has exclusive control over its market.
"It certainly doesn't feel like that to me," he said when asked if he thinks Facebook has a monopoly."The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people. Ranging from texting apps to e-mail," he said.
US in 'arms race' with Russia on data security
Facebook is fighting an "arms race" against Russia-sponsored groups trying to use the social network to manipulate elections and public opinion, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told lawmakers.
Zuckerberg told a Senate hearing on data abuses at the social media giant that Facebook had deployed artificial intelligence tools to weed out fake accounts seeking to interfere in elections or spread misinformation. "There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well," he said. "So this is an arms race. They're going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too."
Facebook 'working with' US special counsel's Russia probe
Facebook is cooperating with the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Zuckerberg told lawmakers. In a wide-ranging question-and-answer session before the US Senate, Zuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook had been approached and was cooperating with Robert Mueller's independent probe, but that some aspects of the cooperation are secret.
"Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I want to make sure in an open session I don't reveal something that's confidential," he said. Zuckerberg said he had personally not been contacted, and that he was not specifically aware of any subpoena of Facebook data. "I believe there may be (a subpoena), but I know we're working with them," he said.
FB wants to ensure protection of integrity of elections
Zuckerberg said he wants to ensure protection of integrity of elections, mentioning that he knows the importance of the upcoming polls in countries, including India, Hungary and Brazil. Zuckerberg faced a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees. He noted that there are several important elections in 2018 in countries like India, Hungary and Brazil and his company wants to ensure protection of integrity in these elections.
Facebook will always offer a free version
Zuckerberg said that the social media giant will always offer free services to users, as he addressed a US Senate hearing on mass abuses of personal data. "There will always be a version of Facebook that is free," Zuckerberg told the hearing, amid questions about the company's business model of not charging users but providing their data to advertisers to make money. "It is our mission to try to help connect everyone around the world to bring the world closer together. In order to do that we believe we need to offer a service that everyone can afford and we're committed to doing that," he said.
Facebook doesn't sell data but profits off it
Zuckerberg also said that Facebook doesn't sell data, calling it a common misconception people have about Facebook. "We do not sell data to advertisers,'' the Facebook CEO testified during a Senate hearing. ``What we allow is for advertisers to tell us who they want to reach. And then we do the placement.''
Facebook has seen no falloff
Zuckerberg also said that Facebook has not seen a falloff in usage in light of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Facebook CEO had already said last week that the company has not seen any ``meaningful impact'' from an online campaign to ``delete Facebook'' or from some high-profile departures, such as Elon Musk's companies pulling their pages from the site.
Facebook will work harder to block hate speech in Myanmar
The Facebook told senators that his company would step up efforts to block hate messages in Myanmar. "What's happening in Myanmar is a terrible tragedy, and we need to do more," Zuckerberg said. More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state into Bangladesh since insurgent attacks sparked a security crackdown last August. United Nations officials investigating a possible genocide in Myanmar said last month that Facebook had been a source of anti-Rohingya propaganda. Zuckerberg said Facebook was hiring dozens more Burmese-language speakers to remove threatening content. "It's hard to do it without people who speak the local language, and we need to ramp up our effort there dramatically," he said, adding that Facebook was also asking civil society groups to help it identify figures who should be banned from the network.
'Um, uh, no': Zuckerberg protects his own privacy in testimony
Of the hundreds of questions thrown at Mark Zuckerberg by US lawmakers Tuesday, none appeared to flummox the Facebook founder more than Senator Dick Durbin's pointed query about where he slept the previous evening. "Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night?" Durbin asked during an intense and closely-watched hearing about online digital privacy, and Facebook's role in what happens to personal information once users join the platform. Zuckerberg paused for a full eight seconds, chuckled, grimaced, and ultimately demurred. "Um, uh, no," he said. And "if you've messaged anybody this week would you share with us the names of the people you've messaged?" the Illinois Democrat persisted. Again, a similar unwillingness to answer.
"Your right to privacy, the limits of your right to privacy, and how much you give away in modern America in the name of connecting people around the world, " the senator told Zuckerberg. The Facebook CEO also conceded Durbin's point was a fair one. "I think everyone should have control over how their information is used," Zuckerberg said.
Notes show Zuckerberg expected resignation query
If his notes are any indication, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expected senators to ask whether he'd resign. His notes acknowledge he's made mistakes and say the company is facing a ``big challenge'' but will solve this one too. Zuckerberg's notes were briefly visible to an Associated Press photographer during a hearing Tuesday in which he answered questions about privacy, election interference and other issues. The bullet-pointed pages include sections on ``diversity,'' ``competition,'' and GDPR, the European data-privacy rules that go into effect next month. Zuckerberg's notes warn him, ``don't say we already do what GDPR requires.'' The notes even refer to Tim Cook, the Apple CEO who recently criticized Facebook. One note says there are ``lots of stories about apps misusing Apple data, never seen Apple notify people.''
Zuckerberg opened his remarks before the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees by taking responsibility for failing to prevent Cambridge Analytica, a data-mining firm affiliated with Donald Trump's presidential campaign, from gathering personal information from 87 million users to try to influence elections.
Zuckerberg had apologized many times already, to users and the public, but this was the first time in his career that he had gone before Congress. He also is to testify Wednesday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
In the hearings, Zuckerberg not only tried to restore public trust in his company but also to stave off federal regulations that some lawmakers have floated. In his opening statement to senators, he also apologized for fake news, hate speech, a lack of data privacy and Russian social media interference in the 2016 elections.
The Senate hearing ended just past 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT), and a second session before a House of Representatives committee is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT).
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT ZUCKERBERG SAID BEFORE US CONGRESS DURING HEARING:
Discover the stories of your interest
Facebook going through 'philosophical shift'
Mark Zuckerberg told US senators that the company was attempting to change in light of recent criticism, as he attempted to forestall any strict legislation aimed at the world's largest social network.
"We are going through a broad philosophical shift at the company," said Zuckerberg, wearing a dark suit and tie instead of his typical T-shirt and jeans.
John Thune, chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee, struck an adversarial tone in his opening remarks. "In the past, many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have been willing to defer to tech companies' efforts to regulate themselves. But this may be changing," he said.
Facebook is not a monopoly
Zuckerberg told lawmakers that he does not believe his company is a monopoly. Zuckerberg rejected the suggestion in a Senate hearing that the social media giant, with over two billion users worldwide, has exclusive control over its market.
"It certainly doesn't feel like that to me," he said when asked if he thinks Facebook has a monopoly."The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people. Ranging from texting apps to e-mail," he said.
US in 'arms race' with Russia on data security
Facebook is fighting an "arms race" against Russia-sponsored groups trying to use the social network to manipulate elections and public opinion, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told lawmakers.
Zuckerberg told a Senate hearing on data abuses at the social media giant that Facebook had deployed artificial intelligence tools to weed out fake accounts seeking to interfere in elections or spread misinformation. "There are people in Russia whose job it is to try to exploit our systems and other internet systems and other systems as well," he said. "So this is an arms race. They're going to keep getting better and we need to invest in getting better at this too."
Facebook 'working with' US special counsel's Russia probe
Facebook is cooperating with the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Zuckerberg told lawmakers. In a wide-ranging question-and-answer session before the US Senate, Zuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook had been approached and was cooperating with Robert Mueller's independent probe, but that some aspects of the cooperation are secret.
"Our work with the special counsel is confidential. I want to make sure in an open session I don't reveal something that's confidential," he said. Zuckerberg said he had personally not been contacted, and that he was not specifically aware of any subpoena of Facebook data. "I believe there may be (a subpoena), but I know we're working with them," he said.
FB wants to ensure protection of integrity of elections
Zuckerberg said he wants to ensure protection of integrity of elections, mentioning that he knows the importance of the upcoming polls in countries, including India, Hungary and Brazil. Zuckerberg faced a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees. He noted that there are several important elections in 2018 in countries like India, Hungary and Brazil and his company wants to ensure protection of integrity in these elections.
Facebook will always offer a free version
Zuckerberg said that the social media giant will always offer free services to users, as he addressed a US Senate hearing on mass abuses of personal data. "There will always be a version of Facebook that is free," Zuckerberg told the hearing, amid questions about the company's business model of not charging users but providing their data to advertisers to make money. "It is our mission to try to help connect everyone around the world to bring the world closer together. In order to do that we believe we need to offer a service that everyone can afford and we're committed to doing that," he said.
Facebook doesn't sell data but profits off it
Zuckerberg also said that Facebook doesn't sell data, calling it a common misconception people have about Facebook. "We do not sell data to advertisers,'' the Facebook CEO testified during a Senate hearing. ``What we allow is for advertisers to tell us who they want to reach. And then we do the placement.''
Facebook has seen no falloff
Zuckerberg also said that Facebook has not seen a falloff in usage in light of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Facebook CEO had already said last week that the company has not seen any ``meaningful impact'' from an online campaign to ``delete Facebook'' or from some high-profile departures, such as Elon Musk's companies pulling their pages from the site.
Facebook will work harder to block hate speech in Myanmar
The Facebook told senators that his company would step up efforts to block hate messages in Myanmar. "What's happening in Myanmar is a terrible tragedy, and we need to do more," Zuckerberg said. More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state into Bangladesh since insurgent attacks sparked a security crackdown last August. United Nations officials investigating a possible genocide in Myanmar said last month that Facebook had been a source of anti-Rohingya propaganda. Zuckerberg said Facebook was hiring dozens more Burmese-language speakers to remove threatening content. "It's hard to do it without people who speak the local language, and we need to ramp up our effort there dramatically," he said, adding that Facebook was also asking civil society groups to help it identify figures who should be banned from the network.
'Um, uh, no': Zuckerberg protects his own privacy in testimony
Of the hundreds of questions thrown at Mark Zuckerberg by US lawmakers Tuesday, none appeared to flummox the Facebook founder more than Senator Dick Durbin's pointed query about where he slept the previous evening. "Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night?" Durbin asked during an intense and closely-watched hearing about online digital privacy, and Facebook's role in what happens to personal information once users join the platform. Zuckerberg paused for a full eight seconds, chuckled, grimaced, and ultimately demurred. "Um, uh, no," he said. And "if you've messaged anybody this week would you share with us the names of the people you've messaged?" the Illinois Democrat persisted. Again, a similar unwillingness to answer.
"Your right to privacy, the limits of your right to privacy, and how much you give away in modern America in the name of connecting people around the world, " the senator told Zuckerberg. The Facebook CEO also conceded Durbin's point was a fair one. "I think everyone should have control over how their information is used," Zuckerberg said.
Notes show Zuckerberg expected resignation query
If his notes are any indication, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expected senators to ask whether he'd resign. His notes acknowledge he's made mistakes and say the company is facing a ``big challenge'' but will solve this one too. Zuckerberg's notes were briefly visible to an Associated Press photographer during a hearing Tuesday in which he answered questions about privacy, election interference and other issues. The bullet-pointed pages include sections on ``diversity,'' ``competition,'' and GDPR, the European data-privacy rules that go into effect next month. Zuckerberg's notes warn him, ``don't say we already do what GDPR requires.'' The notes even refer to Tim Cook, the Apple CEO who recently criticized Facebook. One note says there are ``lots of stories about apps misusing Apple data, never seen Apple notify people.''
