Second Facebook-Cambridge Analytica hearing: choice of speakers disappoints MEPs
MEPs are disappointed with Facebook for not sending the requested speakers to the second hearing looking into the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal on Monday 25 June.
MEPs will discuss the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data breach with experts on Monday assessing the impact on privacy and data protection, electoral processes, consumer trust in digital platforms and cybersecurity. This is the second in a series of three hearings investigating the case.
Three Facebook representatives (Erin Egan, Chief Privacy Officer; Rob Goldman, Vice-President for Advertisements; Joel Kaplan, Vice President of Global Public Policy) were invited to participate in the hearing. Facebook failed to comply with this request and instead, in addition to Joel Kaplan, will send two member of Facebook’s public policy team, Steve Satterfield and Lord Richard Allan, to answer to MEPs questions.
On 19 June, the Chair of the Civil Liberties Committee together with the Chairs of the associated Committees on Industry, Constitutional Affairs and Legal Affairs, sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing disappointment over Facebook’s suggestion for representatives to attend the hearing. Despite a follow-up exchange between Facebook and the Chair of the Civil Liberties Committee, Facebook decided to disregard the request by the European Parliament.
Civil Liberties Committee Chair Claude Moraes (S&D, UK) said: "Following a request from the Chairs of the four Parliamentary Committees concerned, which had been adopted and defined by all political groups in the European Parliament, we had expected to hear from other speakers. It is with reluctance, therefore, that we will now hear from public policy team members proposed by Facebook. It will be up to Members to see if Facebook's answers will be sufficient, convincing and trustworthy."
Event details
When: Monday 25 June 2018, 15.30 - 20.00
Where: Paul-Henri Spaak building (Brussels), room PHS 3C50
The hearing will be webstreamed. You can follow the hearing live here.
Background
The first hearing took place on 4 June and aimed to better map the case.
The third hearing, to be held on 2 July 2018, will focus on possible solutions and EU policies that could remedy the negative consequences and prevent these incidents from happening again. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, and the Commissioners concerned have been invited to the hearing.
The hearings follow up on the 22 May meeting between the founder and CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and EP President Antonio Tajani, political group leaders and the Chair and Rapporteur of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee.