Posted on 03/24/2018 10:39:58 AM PDT by TaxPayer2000
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been rather scarce lately, despite a host of woes besetting his company — but Wednesday he emerged from his cocoon to offer a limp apology, admit they had no control over data like that used by Cambridge Analytica, and that he “will happily” testify before Congress if he’s the right person to do so.
Well, Congress has taken him at his word. “You are the right person to testify before Congress,” wrote the leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in a letter detailed early this morning. His capacity as CEO and “the employee who has been the leader of Facebook through all the key strategic decisions since its launch” make him the best person to testify.
Earlier this week Senators Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kennedy (R-LA) from the Senate Judiciary Committee specifically asked for Zuckerberg as well.
Senator Kennedy had sharp words (in a CNN interview) for Facebook and other tech companies that sent along some smooth operators to talk to them back in November: “We had one hearing — they all sent their lawyers. I don’t know what they paid them but they got their money’s worth, cause their lawyers didn’t say a damn thing.”
He and others are asking that the man himself to come along.
The Senate Commerce Committee also desires his presence.
At this point it would be pretty dangerous for Zuckerberg not to heed the call. Lawmakers don’t take kindly to captains of industry who send underlings instead of tackling major issues like this personally.
As the Open Markets Institute’s Matt Stolller points out in an insightful tweet storm, however, the shortcomings of Facebook’s privacy rules are only part of the story. Once Congress has Zuckerberg in the hot seat, they might consider taking on the idea that Facebook has been playing news organizations and publishers like a fiddle.
They gave Hellary pass after pass after pass.
“We had one hearing — they all sent their lawyers. I don’t know what they paid them but they got their money’s worth, cause their lawyers didn’t say a damn thing.”
,,,
Great comment.
I don’t mind the data mining; it’s what they do. It’s the selective censorship that I think is wrong.
The Facebook monitors should categorize posts into one of two categories: 1-call the cops; 2-let it go as posted. Stop censoring.
Bingo.
“John Neely Kennedy (born November 21, 1951) is an American attorney and politician who is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana, serving since 2017.” - Wikipedia
Precious — a lawyer Senator (aren’t they all lawyers?) banging on lawyers...
Electronic medical records. High Tech Act of 2009. The lobbyist that pushed for this, were hired by the data mining people. The Fed is no different!
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