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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified to Congress about Cambridge Analytica and Russia
Zuckerberg says he's not aware of any instance in which a hack has compromised user data. It has been hacked before — some employees have been compromised with malware — but that didn't affect user data.
Some of the questioning Mark Zuckerberg has faced has not been technically savvy, and the CEO at times has found himself explaining basic features of the social network.
Under questioning from Senator Capito, the 33-year-old had to explain the difference between deleting and deactivating user accounts, and whether Facebook takes a cut of sales of products on Facebook.
He has also repeated ad nauseum throughout the hearing that Facebook doesn't actually sell user data.
Senator Kennedy from Louisiana bluntly tells Mark Zuckerberg: "Your user agreement sucks."
In a rambling question, the senator critiques the social media company's terms of service, asserting that "the purpose of that user agremeent is to cover Facebook's rear end. It's not to inform users about their rights."
(Note that Zuckerberg admitted earlier in the hearing that he doesn't believe users read the terms of service before agreeing.)
When it comes to the questions, however, Kennedy's questioning is fairly unenlightening: Most of the things he requested (will Facebook let him delete his data? Will Facebook let him download his data?) are already implemented.
We just had an important exchange between Mark Zuckerberg and Republican senator Jerry Moran over Cambridge Analytica.
Moran questions Zuckerberg over on what grounds Facebook believes it did not violate an FTC consent order dictating how Facebook can use and share user data. Even if several hundred thousand users consented to having their data harvested to Cambridge Analytica, surely the other 87 million didn't?
Zuckerberg responds that though its systems were clearly broken, "we explained to people how it worked and they did consent to it."
In other words, users were technically informed that Facebook app developers could harvest their data if their friends gave permission — so Facebook didn't violate the consent order. "When people signed up for Facebook they signed up for that as well," Zuckerberg said.
Facebook does not have "specific knowledge" of Russia or China harvesting data or building profiles on Facebook users, Mark Zuckerberg says.
Republican senator Jeff Flake asked the CEO if Facebook knew if Russia or China had harvested data sets.
Zuckerberg responded that Facebook is currently investigating following the Cambridge Analytica scandal — a point also made earlier in the hearing — and said non-specifically that he expects "it will find things."
But, he added, "I don't think sitting here today we have specific knowledge of other efforts by those nation states."
In response to a long question from Senator Chris Coons that was more speech that query, Zuckerberg remarked that "we started out in my dorm room."
It's a line the CEO has repeated numerous times during the hearing — and betrays how closely he has been coached for today. There have been a few showboat-y exchanges, but for the most part Zuckerberg has managed to stick to company talking points thus far.
Case in point: When asked by Senator Sasse about social media addiction and whether he was worried about it as a father, Zuckerberg sidestepped the question and answered: "Well my hope is we can be idealistic, but have a broad view of our responsibilities" — another go-to line.
We’re around two hours in. Here are the highlights:
- Facebook employees have been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office, Mark Zuckerberg revealed.
- Zuckerberg admitted that most users don’t read the social network’s terms of service before signing up.
- In an awkward exchange intended to highlight the issue of privacy, Zuckerberg refused to answer a senator's question by revealing what hotel he was staying in.
- Zuckerberg was grilled by Republican senator Ted Cruz over Facebok’s perceived left-wing political bias.
- Facebook was accused by of violating an FTC order over a researcher’s collection of user data that was later sold to Cambridge Analytica.
Republican senator Ted Cruz was expected to make a scene when it was his turn to ask questions, and he didn’t disappoint.
The former presidential hopeful repeatedly attacked Mark Zuckerberg over what right-wing critics allege is political bias.
Cruz outlined what he alleged was a “pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship” — from the closure of right-wing pages to the alleged suppression of conservative news stories — and hit the CEO with multiple leading questions.
Has Facebook ever taken down any advertisements or pages from Planned Parenthood? Or a Democratic candidate? Does it ask its moderation team about their political beliefs when hiring? Does he know if anyone on the moderation team has ever donated to a Republican candidate.
The answer to these questions was almost invariably no or “I don’t know.” One area where new light was shed was the departure of Palmer Luckey, the founder of virtual reality unit Oculus that who has become increasingly outspoken in his right-wing politics.
When pressed, Zuckerberg said Luckey’s departure was “not because of a political view.”
...and after two hours of questioning, it's time for a break.
Facebook is accused of violating an FTC order in a contentious exchange with Senator Blumenthal, which Zuckerberg denies.
Blumenthal shows Zuckerberg a huge card outlining the terms of service researcher Kogan offered to Facebook, explicitly saying Facebook may steal user data, in apparent violation of a 2011 FTC consent order placed on Facebook.
Zuckerberg says he hadn’t seen Kogan’s terms before — and that no-one was fired over Facebook’s agreement to them.
An interesting back-and-forth between Zuckerberg and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn. Asked about Facebook’s responsibility for for questionable content shared on Facebook, the CEO said: “I agree we’re responsible for content.”
It’s a somewhat surprising admission: Facebook — and other tech companies — have historically taken a more hands-off approach, sheltered from legal culpability from what its users share so long as it responds to users’ reports appropriately.
But the CEO suggests that the development of AI and its use in content moderation may change that calculus. “There are moral and legal obligation questions … about how we want companies to take action proactively.”
Senator Graham is grilling Zuckerberg on a range of subjects around its core product. He asks about his competitors, and cuts off the CEO when he reverts to rote talking points.
He asks directly if Zuckerberg thinks is a monopoly.
"It certainly doesn't feel like that to me," Zuckerberg responds.
Graham also gets Zuckerberg to admit that he thinks most users don't read Facebooks terms of service when they sign up: "I don't think the average person likely reads the whole document."
In response to a question from Senaotr Leahy, Zuckerberg reveals that someone at Facebook has been interviewed by the office of the special counsel, Robert Mueller, investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. (It wasn't Zuckerberg himself.)
The CEO is reluctant to offer more info, because the company's work with the special counsel's office is "confidential," he says, though he says he's not aware of any subpoena. The questioning moves on.
The crowd at the hearing are mainly senate staffers, lobbyists, and journalists, but there also some more colourful figures in attendance for Zuckerberg's testimony.
Along with the Code Pink protestors, there is also this fellow dressed as one of the "Russian trolls" that has plagued Facebook in recent years.
Senator Cantwell grills Mark Zuckerberg about Palantir — a shadowy intelligence firm run by Peter Thiel, a Facebook board member.
He says he doesn't know if, as reports have suggested, Palantir taught Cambridge Analytica.
He is not aware of Palantir ever scraping user data.
He later adds that he's "not realty familiar with what Palantir does." (Again, Thiel is a board member at Facebook, and the company's first outside investor.) Here's Business Insider's full report »
Zuckerberg was asked about why it didn't notify the tens of millions of people affected by Cambridge Analytica back in 2015. He says it was "clearly a mistake" not to do so, had considered CA's certification it had deleted the information sufficient, "considered it a closed case."
Facebook also didn't notify the FTC in 2015, for the same reason.
Thune then asks Zuckerberg about why people should trust Facebook in its apology, given its history of screw-ups and subsequent apologies. "So we have made a lot of mistakes in running the company," Zuckerberg says — a mild understatement. Says Facebook tries to avoid making the same mistakes twice.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is now giving his opening statement.
It’s largely similar to the remarks he’s made in recent days in blog posts and interviews with journalists.
Facebook made a “big mistake” by not taking a “broad enough view” of its responsibilities, the exec says.
He outlines the already-announced changes Facebook is making in response to the scandal, including notifying users whose data was obtained by Cambridge Analytica.
The issues Facebook is facing are challenges "for all of us as Americans," Zuckerberg concludes.
Senator Nelson is punchier right out the gate: If you and other social media companies do not get your act in order, none of us are gonna have any privacy any more,” he tells Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg will speak after these open statements. For now he is sitting silently, looking fairly serious, occasionally sipping water.
Nelson raises the possibility of Congress enacting regulation if Facebook fails to act: "How can American consumers trust folks like your company to be caretakers of their most personal and identifiable information?"
Senator Grassley talks about the scale of modern data collection, and situates it in the broader context — mentioning other companies also collecting user data, and touching on the history of the use of voter data in political campaigns (particularly Obama’s).
He says: “The tech industry has an obligation to respond to widespread and growing concerns over data privacy and security and to restore the public’s trust.”
It’s now on to Senator Feinstein. While Thune focused on data and privacy issues, her remarks also raise foreign interference via Facebook — particularly the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA).
Cambridge Analytica (CA) gets a mention too, however, linking it to Trump’s campaign — and asking whether CA coordinated with the IRA.
She’s concerned, she says, because Facebook reportedly learned of Cambridge Analytica obtaining user data in 2015 and did nothing about it until now.
The hearing has kicked off with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley laying out the ground rules. Senators will get five minutes, not four, and there will not be a second round of questions.
Then, first up is South Dakota Senator John Thune, the commerce chairman. His opening remarks are critical, Cambridge Analytica's scraping "disturbing" and highlighting that the research firm was able to hijack Facebook's tools rather than due to "negligence." He also raises concerns that Facebook's planned changes will only reinforce its dominance and further its walled garden.
It just wouldn't be a high-profile congressional hearing without a few protestors!
There's a scattering of protestors in the audience from Code Pink, a pro-social justice organisation that campaigns against militarism. They were earlier waving banners with slogans like "PROTECT OUR PRIVACY" and "STOP CORPORATE SPYING."
Mark Zuckerberg is in the building. CBS News captured footage of the CEO in the lobby.
As the scheduled time of the hearing approaches, the hall is swarming with photographers angling for a prime shot of the 33-year-old CEO once he arrives.
Outside of the room, the line is several hundred people long, stretching down two flights of stairs and through the underground tunnels that connect the Senate office buildings. It goes all the way into the neighboring building.
Most will leave disappointed: There are only around 50 seats inside the room.
Pictured above: The seat Zuckerberg will be sitting in for his testimony, which may go on for as long as four hours.
There has been some mirth on Twitter over what appears to be a booster seat on his chair — though Business Insider understands that it has been added for additional comfort, rather than to give the 5-foot-7-inch executive a height boost.
Two key updates for now.
One: There is a Senate floor vote scheduled for 14:15 ET today, so the hearing will kick off a little later than anticipated — expect the show to get started between 14:30-14:45 ET.
And second: Mark Zuckerberg won't be under oath when he testifies, so don't expect to see the iconic shot of him raising his right hand as he swears truthfulness. However, he will still be required to answer truthfully, as lying to Congress is a federal crime.
For context, the Judiciary Committee typically requires witnesses to be sworn in, but the Commerce Committee does not. In addition, Zuckerberg is a non-government witness, which Judiciary often does not require to go under oath.
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