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Recommended Reading: Facebook's influence on Instagram
Instagram looks like Facebook's best hope Sarah Frier, Bloomberg Businessweek With all the attention on Mark Zuckerberg's visit to DC this week, it can be easy to lose sight of an important detail: Facebook also owns Instagram. Of course, this means it also has access to the photo-sharing app's massive user base. Bloomberg Businessweek has a detailed look at the relationship between the two companies as Instagram approaches 1 billion total users.
Facebook removes Pages of two groups run by Richard Spencer
Earlier this week, during his testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Mark Zuckerberg responded to a question from Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY) about hate groups by saying, "We do not allow hate groups on Facebook, overall. So, if there's a group that their primary purpose or a large part of what they do is spreading hate, we will ban them from the platform, overall." But while that may be the policy, it has proven to be a bit difficult to implement. Following that testimony, Vice News found that a number of organizations the Southern Poverty Law Center considers to be hate groups still had Facebook presences, including two linked to white nationalist Richard Spencer. After Vice approached the platform about them, Spencer's Pages were taken down.
Mark Zuckerberg got grilled by Congress. Was it worth it?
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Zuckerberg gave testimony to Congress in response to his company's role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Russian election interference and his website's utter nightmare of data privacy. He impressed people by wearing his absolute nicest human suit.
Lawmakers want more tech companies to address privacy legislation
Though Facebook has been in a bright spotlight since the Cambridge Analytica fallout, it's obviously not the only company that has to deal with issues surrounding how best to protect its users' privacy. That responsibility falls on all tech companies with online platforms and Congress is now calling on them to step up and do their part. In interviews with CNET, two congressmen express the need for Silicon Valley cooperation and urge executives to accept that this is an issue that isn't going away.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg owes lawmakers answers to these questions
By JP Mangalindan and Aarthi Swaminathan For Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, this week was a trial by fire. Over the course of two days (April 10-11), senators on the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees, as well as representatives from the US House Energy and Commerce Committees, grilled Facebook's 33-year-old CEO on a number of matters, including the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, the company's role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and its position on government regulation regarding user privacy. And while Zuckerberg's testimony was widely viewed as a successful defense of the company he started in 2004 -- Facebook's stock was up 4.5% at market close the first day of hearings — there were many questions Zuckerberg left unanswered. Here's a breakdown of the questions he could not address.
The Zuckerberg hearings were a wasted opportunity
Over the past two days, members of Congress have peppered Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg with questions about how the platform manages users' privacy, what went wrong with Cambridge Analytica and what it's doing to strengthen protections going forward. These two hearings lasted more than 10 hours combined, and dozens of senators and representatives had a chance to ask questions in five- and four-minute allotments, respectively. Until this week, Congress had tried for years to get Zuckerberg to personally appear on Capitol Hill, instead of, say, dispatching another company executive. It's a shame, then, that the lawmakers ultimately squandered the time they had with him this week.
Facebook CEO: Europe's GDPR standards to be implemented worldwide
Mark Zuckerberg's Congressional testimony continues today as he speaks to the House Energy & Commerce Committee. During questioning, Congressman Gene Green asked the Facebook CEO about Europe's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and inquired as to whether the requirements set by that set of regulations will be applied outside of Europe. Previously, Zuckerberg has said that the company wouldn't necessarily be extending those user protections in full elsewhere in the world, telling Reuters earlier this month that he agreed with GDPR "in spirit" but not going so far as to say that it would be adopted as a worldwide standard. "We're still nailing down details on this, but it should directionally be, in spirit, the whole thing," he said at the time. Today, however, Zuckerberg changed his tune a little saying GDPR would be the standard going forward.
Cambridge Analytica accessed Mark Zuckerberg's data, too
Mark Zuckerberg had his data accessed by Cambridge Analytica, too. In today's Congressional hearings, the Facebook CEO admitted that even his personal information wasn't safe. As part of a rapid-fire four-minute question and answer session, congresswoman Anna Eshoo from California asked Zuckerberg, simply, if his personal data was sold to malicious third parties along with that of 87 million other Facebook account holders. "Yes," he answered. See, tech CEOs are just like us.
House committee presses Zuckerberg over privacy policy ‘minefield'
The second round of congressional hearings for Mark Zuckerberg is happening now, as he testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Facebook's co-founder and CEO was questioned for over five hours on Tuesday by the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees, with senators urging him to avoid a "nightmare" for users on his site. That, of course, after Facebook failed to protect personal data of up to 87 million users from being misused by political research firm Cambridge Analytica. Zuckerberg's opening statement today echoed what he said during the first hearing: "It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started this company and I'm responsible for what happens here."
Watch Mark Zuckerberg's second day of congressional testimony at 10AM ET
After Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent several hours answering questions from dozens of senators yesterday, he'll face the House Energy and Commerce Committee this morning. Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify at 10AM ET and you can watch the proceedings live via the committee's website right here. As was the case yesterday, Bloomberg's TicToc will be livestreaming the hearing on Twitter and several other outlets will have YouTube and Facebook feeds. We've embedded the YouTube broadcast from PBS News Hour down below for easy access.
Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook doesn't use your mic for ad targeting
During today's joint hearing before the Senate Judiciary & Commerce Committees, CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced one question that addresses a privacy concern you've probably heard about: whether or not Facebook listens in on your conversations via microphones to display relevant ads. It's a conspiracy theory that won't die, but Zuckerberg fully denied it when asked by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI). Peters asked him to answer "yes or no" whether Facebook used audio from personal devices to fill out its ad data, and Zuckerberg said no. The CEO explained that users can upload videos with audio in them, but not the kind of background spying that you've probably heard people talk about. So are you satisfied, or are you still wrapping your phone in foil while discussing vacation plans, TV purchases or other advertising-rich topics?
Facebook didn't report initial Cambridge Analytica data use to FTC
During his first hearing in Washington, DC this week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that the company didn't alert the FTC to the initial Cambridge Analytica leak in 2015. When answering questions from several senators during his testimony, Zuckerberg explained that after Facebook first learned that Cambridge Analytica was in possession of user data from the "Thisisyourdigitallife" app, it "considered it a closed case" when the data company said it had deleted any unauthorized info. The CEO admitted that it was a mistake to take Cambridge Analytica's word for it, but that the company didn't feel that any further action was required.
Facebook CEO pledges to work with Senate on proposed regulations
As Zuckerberg's Senate testimony continues, the question of regulation came up, as expected. Senator Lindsey Graham asked the CEO about his stance on legislation that would regulate platforms like Facebook and Zuckerberg said that if it was the right regulation, he and Facebook would welcome it. Additionally, Graham asked if Zuckerberg and his team would be willing to suggest some legislation regarding social media legislation and the CEO said he would send proposals to Graham's office.
Zuckerberg says a 'version' of Facebook will always be free
Mark Zuckerberg is testifying today before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, answering questions from 44 Senators about Facebook's data managing practices, the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the use of its platform by foreign groups attempting to influence US elections. During his questioning today, Senator Orrin Hatch harkened back to Zuckerberg's first visit to Capitol Hill in 2010 where he said that Facebook would always be free. Zuckerberg then responded that a version of Facebook would always be free, leaving open the interpretation that the platform could one day charge a fee.
Senators urge Zuckerberg to avoid 'nightmare' for Facebook users
As expected, Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was on Capitol Hill today to testify before the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees. It was the first of two congressional hearings Zuckerberg is scheduled to attend this week, with the other taking place tomorrow in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Senator John Thune (R–South Dakota) opened the hearing by saying that tech companies need to do more to protect user data and prevent harmful conduct on their platforms. "You have an obligation to ensure that [the American] dream doesn't become a nightmare for the scores of people who use Facebook," he said to Zuckerberg, referencing the company's recent mishaps, including the Cambridge Analytica (CA) scandal.
Watch Mark Zuckerberg's first congressional hearing at 2:15PM ET
After a couple weeks of anticipation, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will make the first of two appearances before congressional committees this afternoon. At 2:15PM ET, Zuckerberg with testify before both the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on privacy and user data. This is the first of two days appearances before Congress this week as the Facebook chief will also appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee tomorrow morning.
Zuckerberg reportedly asked Instagram to copy Snapchat Stories
It's no secret that Instagram has had serious Snapchat envy for a while, but what got the ball rolling? If you believe Bloomberg, it's none other than Mark Zuckerberg himself. A source talking to the news outlet claimed that Instagram's founders refused to replicate Snapchat's Stories feature until the Facebook CEO personally asked for the feature. He was concerned Instagram was going to miss out on a whole generation if it didn't shake up its product, the insider said.
Facebook's bounty program offers rewards for reporting data abuse
It's an understatement that Facebook has found itself in some hot water lately in regard to data privacy, thanks to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg is testifying in front of Congress today and tomorrow in regard to the company's actions and the ways it has used personal data. Today, Facebook introduced the Data Abuse Bounty program, which will reward the social network's users for reporting apps that misuse data.
Zuckerberg apologizes for Facebook's response to Myanmar conflict
Mark Zuckerberg has been accused of keeping too quiet on the many issues affecting Facebook recently, so Myanmar activists were surprised when they received a personal response from the chief exec following their open letter criticizing his approach to hate speech in their conflict-stricken country.
What to expect from Mark Zuckerberg’s congressional hearings
The next stop on Mark Zuckerberg's apology tour is the United States Congress. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Facebook co-founder and CEO will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. This comes after weeks of uncertainty over whether Zuckerberg would agree to meet with lawmakers following the Cambridge Analytica (CA) scandal, which may have exposed the private information of up to 87 million users.
