Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has, for the most part, seemed quite willing to appear before various government entities to answer their questions regarding the recent Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has, for the most part, seemed quite willing to appear before various government entities to answer their questions regarding the recent Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal.
As such, it came as a bit of a surprise to see the CEO repeatedly decline the UK’s recent invitations for Zuckerberg to appear before Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee despite threats of a formal summons.
Arguably even more surprising than that, though, is the CEO’s latest decision. Today, Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament, issued a press release informing the public that Zuckerberg accepted their invitation to appear in Brussels “as soon as possible.”
It’s not clear why the CEO accepted Tajani’s invitation over the UK’s invitation, but we’ve reached out to Facebook for comment on the matter.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO and founder, has accepted our invitation. He will come to the European Parliament. My full statement ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/FdmuDPl8Wb
— Antonio Tajani (@EP_President) May 16,2018
At any rate, as you might expect, the European Parliament intends to ask Zuckerberg for a “full and detailed” explanation of Facebook’s role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
However, Tajani also claims “relevant committees” will ask the CEO questions about the “potential impact” of Facebook’s data protection policies on “electoral processes in Europe.”
It’s not entirely clear when this meeting will take place, but Parliament hopes they can put it together as early as next week.
