INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
WASHINGTON:
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg endured an hours-long grilling by dozens of U.S
senators Tuesday during which he repeatedly apologized and promised privacy reforms but also pointedly defended his company against the
threat of new legislation.Zuckerberg invoked Facebook's unlikely journey - from a tiny startup he co-founded in his Harvard dorm room 14
years ago to a social media behemoth - in explaining Facebook's frequent privacy missteps and its failure to spot and defeat Russia's
aggressive campaign to manipulate American voters in 2016 and beyond.Senators repeatedly challenged Zuckerberg's explanations in the
wide-ranging hearing, a rare joint session before two Senate panels - the Commerce and Judiciary committees - with 42 senators questioning
the Facebook executive."If Facebook and other online companies will not or cannot fix these privacy invasions, then we will," said Sen
Bill Nelson, Fla., the highest-ranking Democrat on the Commerce Committee. Placard for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, on a witness table
before the joint hearing in WashingtonBut for more than four hours, there was no flash point or loss of composure for Zuckerberg, who was
appearing in his first congressional hearing after avoiding such scrutiny for years
His steadiness in the face of tough questioning helped quell the air of crisis that surrounded not just Facebook but also Silicon Valley in
general, where collecting user data is essential to many businesses.Facebook's stock price, sagging since last month's revelations about how
the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly gained access to personal information on 87 million Facebook users, rose during his
testimony to end up 4.5 percent for the day, outperforming a generally strong market.Still, the issues raised in the hearing strike at deep
problems for one of the most highflying technology companies
Gallup found in a poll released this week that 43 percent of Americans are "very concerned" about Facebook's invasions of privacy - an
increase of 13 percentage points since 2011, when Gallup conducted a similar poll.Zuckerberg, who traded his trademark T-shirt and hoodie
for the standard Capitol Hill garb of a dark suit and tie, had holed up with advisers in Washington over the weekend to prepare for the
His tone was one of practiced and patient contrition as he described the company's recent failings and efforts to remedy them. Mark
John Kennedy, R-La., prior to a Senate committee hearing."It's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for
harm as well," Zuckerberg said
"And that goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy.Zuckerberg took
responsibility for the missteps
"We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake
And it was my mistake, and I'm sorry
I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."Yet there was a broader context to the hearing, coming amid rising
complaints about how a range of leading tech companies profit from virtually unfettered access to user data - something increasingly
restricted in Europe and elsewhere in the world.In other comments, Zuckerberg singled out Facebook's inability to identify and combat
Russian disinformation efforts as one of his "biggest regrets" and added, "One of my top priorities in 2018 is getting this right."He also
confirmed for the second time since February that Facebook officials have been interviewed by investigators for special counsel Robert
Mueller III, who have been looking into Russia's role in influencing the 2016 election. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives for a Senate
committee hearing in WashingtonThe exchanges between the 33-year-old billionaire and lawmakers were often tense
But Zuckerberg also caused spectators to laugh when he turned down an opportunity for a break, saying he could keep answering questions for
15 more minutes before stopping.Zuckerberg's acknowledgments of responsibility punctuated an extraordinary shift in tone for him and the
He has strained in recent weeks to convince lawmakers, users and regulators that Facebook is determined to deliver meaningful change after
repeated privacy controversies.The House Energy and Commerce Committee has its own hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning.Several senators
asked for detailed answers about how private, third-party companies gained access to personal data on tens of millions of Americans.Others
questioned whether the very business model of Facebook - which makes money by selling online advertisements based on what it learns about
users on the platform - was flawed."Mr
Zuckerberg, in many ways, you and the company that you've created, the story you've created, represent the American Dream," said Sen
John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Commerce Committee
"Many are incredibly inspired by what you've done
At the same time, you have an obligation, and it's up to you, to ensure that dream doesn't become a privacy nightmare." Cutouts of
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg are displayed near the Capitol in WashingtonIn one sharp exchange, Sen
Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Zuckerberg whether he agreed with a 2016 memo written by Facebook Vice President Andrew Bosworth, a longtime
In the memo, Bosworth appeared to suggest that bad outcomes - including bullying and even death - were unfortunate but inevitable side
effects of the company's mission to connect the world.At first, Zuckerberg tried to sidestep the question, saying that most people at the
company didn't agree with the memo
Graham shot back, saying, "If somebody who said this worked for me, I'd fire him."Zuckerberg replied that he believes it's important to
create a work environment where people feel free to speak their minds.Sen
Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said later in the hearing, "We've seen the apology tours before
I don't see how you can change your business model unless there are different rules of the road." Mark Zuckerberg took responsibility for
the missteps in his testimony (Reuters)Facebook's recent controversies have generated a rare level of bipartisan consensus about the power
of social media to twist public discourse and jeopardize the functioning of democracies
Many lawmakers - Republicans and Democrats - are calling for new legislation, fines or greater regulation.In one of the most contentious
exchanges of the afternoon, Sen
Ted Cruz, R-Texas, accused Facebook of a "pervasive pattern of political bias" against conservatives
Zuckerberg disputed the allegation, saying he worked to prevent such bias despite acknowledging that Silicon Valley was "an extremely
left-leaning place."Another pointed exchange took place when Sen
Richard Durbin, D-Ill., asked Zuckerberg what hotel he stayed at Monday night and the names of anyone he messaged this week
Zuckerberg, appearing amused by the question, declined to answer.Durbin shot back, "I think that may be what this is all about: your right
to privacy, the limits of your right to privacy and how much you give away in modern America in the name of quote, 'connecting people around
the world.' " The 138-seat hearing room on the second floor of Capitol Hill where Mark Zuckerberg testified (Reuters)The air of expectation
around the hearing was remarkable, even by the standards of televised Capitol Hill political theater
Spectators lined up along the walls of the Hart Senate Office Building hours in advance, snaking from the 138-seat hearing room on the
second floor.To account for the expanded roster of members attending the hearing - amounting to almost half the Senate - congressional
staffers added an extra table to the dais.One attendee arrived dressed as a Russian troll - in a scout-like uniform with fake troll hair and
a scarf resembling a Russian flag
Three others in the crowd rose before Zuckerberg entered to protest
Wearing neon-colored, oversize glasses that read "stop spying," they displayed poster boards - labeled Code Pink - with slogans like"stop
corporate spying" and "protect our privacy" and "Like us on Facebook." Mark Zuckerberg before the Senate Committee for hearing at Hart
Senate Office BuildingOutside, on the Capitol's lawn, 100 life-size cutouts of Zuckerberg sported T-shirts reading, "fix fakebook" - the
work of an advocacy group, Avaaz, calling attention to how fake accounts spread disinformation on the social network.Facebook has been
reeling since the November 2016 election, during which phony news reports spread widely on its platform and Russian operatives mounted an
ambitious campaign to divide American voters, damage Democrat Hillary Clinton and bolster the chances of Republican Donald Trump.Facebook
appeared to be recovering from those controversies until last month's revelations about Cambridge Analytica
Facebook last week acknowledged a separate problem in which "malicious actors" were able to identify and collect data on Facebook users on
such a massive scale that most of the company's 2.2 billion users were affected.As the company has mobilized to quell rising political
opposition, Facebook also has wrestled government investigations in the United States and Europe
