Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg ordered to answer questions in Parliament amid Cambridge Analytica scandal
2 min read
MPs have ordered Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg to face questions in Parliament in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee said the tech tycoon must explain the “catastrophic failure of process” that led to an alleged major data breach.
Political campaigns firm Cambridge Analytica - which is credited with helping Donald Trump win the White House - stands accused of illegally harvesting data from 50 million Facebook profiles.
Committee chair Damian Collins said Facebook had misled MPs and had “consistently understated the risk” of data breaches.
In a letter to Mr Zuckerberg he said his team “would like to request that you appear before us to give oral evidence”.
He added: “It’s now time to hear from a senior Facebook executive with the sufficient authority to give us an accurate account of this catastrophic failure of process.
“There is a strong public interest test regarding user protection. Accordingly we are sure you will understand the need for a representative from right at the top of the organisation to address concerns.
“Given your commitment at the start of the New Year to ‘fixing’ Facebook, I hope this representative will be you.”
The Information Commissioner is seeking a warrant to search the Cambridge Analytica’s servers and databases after the company failed to hand them over by a strict deadline.
Ex-Cabinet minister Dominic Grieve this morning suggested tech firm bosses who misuse data for financial or political gain should face being thrown in jail.
He also said the powers of the Information Commissioner should be beefed up if the watchdog thought it was necessary.
In a separate investigation, Cambridge Analytica executives were filmed by Channel 4 News suggesting they could use honey traps and possibly bribery to discredit politicians across the globe and help them win elections.
