Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before US courts

Mark Zuckerberg has been the subject of withering criticism in light of the Facebook data breach by Cambridge Analytics. Photo: Reuters

San Francisco: Facebook Inc. chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has decided that he’ll need to testify before US lawmakers in the coming weeks to answer a drumbeat of Congressional questions over how the company handles user information, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The social network has not yet outlined concrete plans for what Zuckerberg will say or when he will appear, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing internal planning.

Zuckerberg has been the subject of withering criticism from lawmakers from both major US political parties, as well as members of the UK parliament, amid signs that Facebook has failed to protect user privacy. Newspaper reports this month said Cambridge Analytics obtained information on more than 50 million Facebook users without their consent, and then lied about deleting it. The revelations have prompted some people to delete their Facebook accounts and heightened concern that the social network will lose advertisers and be subject to tighter regulation. It’s also fuelled a 16% decline in the stock.

Legal officials from Facebook, Google and Twitter—rather than CEOs—appeared before Congress last year to answer for how their platforms were manipulated to sway public opinion during the US presidential elections in 2016.

A Facebook spokesperson said the company has received lawmakers’ invitations to appear before Congress and is talking with legislators. CNN earlier reported that Zuckerberg has come to terms with the fact that he’ll have to testify before Congress. Bloomberg