MEPs left frustrated and angry after Mark Zuckerberg’s Brussels hearing
MEPs were left visibly angry after Mark Zuckerberg’s appearance this evening left them none the wiser about the majority of their questions.
Facebook’s share price climbed during the session as the Silicon Valley leader dodged questions by focusing on “themes” rather than specifics.
The format – in which MEPs put forward their questions in a queue – meant Zuckerberg could answer them in general blocks, with no time for follow-up questions as he was whisked away at the end.
The tech tycoon opened by telling President Antonio Tajani and MEPs including Guy Verhofstadt and Syed Kamall he was happy to be “back in Europe”.
In his prepared statement, he told European lawmakers Facebook aimed to be a tool for good, highlighting the company’s safety check tool, helping in the middle of terror attacks.
“But it’s also clear that we haven’t done enough to prevent those tools being misused… that was a mistake, and I’m sorry for it.”
Zuckerberg listed the number of steps Facebook had taken to improve security in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data breach, saying the platform had reviewed “thousands of apps and suspended more than 200”.
He said the firm would double the number of people working on the company’s security, noting it would “significantly impact our profitability – but keeping people safe will always be more important than our profits.”
Facebook’s share price – which rose during his hearing in the US – fell during the opening minutes, and was down 0.4 per cent at one point.
But by the end of the session it had recovered to a drop of 0.1 per cent.
The politicians were clearly annoyed at the format, which left no opportunity for follow-up questions, with Verhofstadt having an angry exchange with Tajani after his questions were left unanswered.
Another added: “I asked six yes or no questions and got not one answer.”
Speaking during a press conference after the hearing, Tajani admitted the format had been his proposal, suggesting it as a way to encourage Zuckerberg to attend.
He noted that his appearance was not “obligatory”, stressing that Facebook has agreed a “high level representative to answer technical questions”.