Mark Zuckerberg turns down official invite from UK MPs to testify over Facebook scandal
MARK Zuckerberg won't bother to turn up at Parliament to give evidence about the Facebook data scandal, The Sun has learned.
Instead, the billionaire CEO is reportedly sending another Facebook staffer to appear before MPs instead.
But he will be appearing in front of Congress in the US, according to Facebook sources who spoke to CNN's Dylan Byers.
Zuck has reportedly "come to terms" with the fact that he will have to testify to Congress in a matter of weeks, and is planning out his strategy.
Here in the UK, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee has already hit back at the snub, requesting that Zuckerberg still appears – even if only by "video link".
The PM, on the other hand, has refused to join calls for the Facebook boss to give evidence to Parliament.
"Mr Zuckerberg will decide for himself," said Theresa May.
She added that she hopes "Facebook will recognise why this is so significant".
Facebook has been embroiled in a major data scandal over the past few weeks, after it was reported that the social network had given away personal info of 50 million users without their permission.
As a result, the DCMS Committee requested to speak to Zuck about the privacy blunder.
In a request sent to Zuckerberg, the committee wrote: "The Committee has repeatedly asked Facebook about how companies acquire and hold on to user data from their site, and in particular about whether data had been taken without their consent.
"Your officials' answers have consistently understated this risk, and have been misleading the Committee.
It added: "The Committee would like to request that you appear before us to give oral evidence."
But Zuckerberg will be a no-show.
The Facebook founder and chief declined the DCMS invitation in an official response.
Instead, he's going to send Chris Cox, Facebook's Chief Product Officer, or Mike Schroepfer, Facebook's Chief Technology Officer.
A letter sent by Facebook's UK policy boss Rebecca Stimson explained: "Both Chris Cox and Mike Schroepfer report directly to Mr Zuckerberg and are among the longest serving senior representatives in Facebook's 15-year history.
"Both of them have extensive expertise in these issues and are well placed to answer the Committee's questions on these complex subjects."
Stimson said that one of them can be made available to the Committee "straight after the Easter Parliamentary recess".
Facebook Data Breach – what happened?
Here's what you need to know...
- A personality quiz app obtained data for 270,000 willing Facebook users
- But it also sucked up info on all of their Facebook friends
- That meant the app caught data for around 50-60 million users
- This data was reportedly sold on to UK research firm Cambridge Analytica
- Cambridge Analytica helps politicians and lobby groups create propaganda
- The data was supposedly used to boost the Brexit campaign and get Trump into the White House
- Facebook is said to have known about the data breach since 2015
- The social network asked companies with the data to delete it, but didn't enforce the rule
- The Guardian revealed the incident in an exposé thanks to Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie
- There are now serious questions about whether Facebook has broken laws by giving up this data
In response to the Zuck snub, MP Damian Collins – who heads up the DCMS Committee – said: "We believe given the serious nature of the allegations...that it is appropriate that Mark Zuckerberg should give evidence to the Committee.
"We'll be very happy to invite Mr Cox, however we would still like to hear from Mr Zuckerberg as well.
Collins said that the DCMS Committee will be following up with Facebook to see if "Zuckerberg is available", and offered the opportunity for the CEO to testify "in person or via video link".
Zuck's decision to dodge the invitation shouldn't come as a surprise.
After hiding away for four days, Zuckerberg did a live TV interview last week where he admitted he wasn't sure he was the right person to testify in front of UK MPs and US Congress.
He said he was "happy to, if it's the right thing to do".
"Facebook testifies in Congress regularly on a number of topics – some high-profile, and some not.
"And our objective is always to provide Congress, with this extremely important job, to have the most information that they can."
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But he said he might not be the best choice of person to turn up at Parliament or Congress.
"What we try to do is send the person at Facebook who will have the most amount of knowledge about what congress is trying to learn.
"So if that's me then I am happy to go.
"What I think we have found so far is that typically there are people whose whole job is focused on an area, but I would imagine at some point there will be a topic where I am the sole authority and it will make sense for me to do it.
"And I'd be happy to do it that way."
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Zuckerberg went on to say that testifying shouldn't be seen as a "media opportunity".
"The goal there is to get Congress all the information they need to do their extremely important job.
"We just want to make sure we send whoever is best informed to do that."
We've asked Facebook for comment about whether Mark Zuckerberg will be willing to reconsider his decision not to appear before MPs, and whether he'll testify over video link instead.
Do you think Mark Zuckerberg is the right person to testify before UK MPs? Let us know in the comments.
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