Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg will meet the leaders of the European Parliament to answer questions about the improper use of millions of users’ data by a political consulting firm, as pressure on the company’s protection of data continues.
The world’s largest social network has come under scrutiny over the way it handles personal data after revelations that British firm Cambridge Analytica, which worked on Donald Trump’s 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign, improperly accessed the Facebook data of 87 million users.
“The founder and CEO of Facebook has accepted our invitation and will be in Brussels as soon as possible, hopefully already next week,” Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament, said in a statement on Wednesday. The American will meet party leaders and members of the civil liberties committee.
“I welcome Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to appear in person before the representatives of 500 million Europeans. It is a step in the right direction towards restoring confidence,” Mr. Tajani said.
A hearing will also be organized with Facebook and other parties concerned, Mr. Tajani said, to carry out an “in-depth analysis of aspects related to personal data protection” and potential impacts on electoral processes in Europe.
The European Parliament holds elections in May next year.
“We have accepted the Council of President’s proposal to meet with leaders of the European Parliament and appreciate the opportunity for dialogue, to listen to their views and show the steps we are taking to better protect people’s privacy,” a spokesman for Facebook said in Washington.
The British Parliament also requested that Mr. Zuckerberg answer questions from lawmakers but the firm’s chief technology officer attended that hearing instead.
The office of French President Emmanuel Macron also said Mr. Macron will hold “frank” talks with Mr. Zuckerberg on tax and data privacy in a week’s time when he welcomes the bosses of leading tech firms to Paris in a drive to lure more investment.
The French leader’s office said he would meet Mr. Zuckerberg and more than a dozen technology chief executives during a Tech for Good summit at which he will pitch France Inc, but also push his case for an EU tax on digital turnover and call for a tougher battle against fake news.
Also expected at the Elysée Palace event are IBM’s Virginia Rometty, Intel Corp.’s Brian Krzanich and Microsoft Corp.’s Satya Nadella.
Mr. Macron, 40, paints himself as a champion of France’s plugged-in youth and wants to transform France into a “startup nation,” but he is also spearheading efforts in Europe to have digital tax companies pay more tax at source.
The summit comes at a time when Facebook is under pressure in most Western countries over data privacy after it emerged that tens of millions of users’ personal data harvested from the website by political consultant Cambridge Analytica.
“There will be tough discussions,” one official in Mr. Macron’s office said.
Mr. Macron will hold a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Zuckerberg, during which all subjects will be raised in “very frank” discussions, the President’s office said.
Reuters