Ok. Hearing underway, I’ll share key thoughts. @RepMaxineWaters opening remarks were blistering indictment for any CEO especially one with this much impact. They were all 100% completely fair in their assessment. financialservices.house.gov/calendar/event…
Pay attention to how Zuckerberg attempts Facebook to be synonymous with Internet. Some members, maybe on both sides, will assist. It ring hollow with anyone who knows space even in Valley. Facebook is a closed platform which makes everyone look bad and has eroded trust. Period.
Be clear, Facebook's Libra is an attempt to move conversation away from the past and into the future. Classic FUD. It's the Amazon delivery drone on steroids. Ignore it, focus on the past and Facebook's profit model destructive to democracy.
- Facebook wasn't "on its back foot protecting against Russian meddling", it actually enabled it.
- When Zuckerberg suggests revenues from political ads are modest, it's misleading as same politicians drive engagement and organic revenues. Plus they fosters influence with pols.
- When Zuckerberg suggests revenues from political ads are modest, it's misleading as same politicians drive engagement and organic revenues. Plus they fosters influence with pols.
When Zuckerberg says they don't fact check, make note that their algorithms surface content to be fact checked. It's a splitting of hairs on liability and accountability.
"what is illegal offline should be illegal online" would basically shut down Facebook. Not only do illegal activities get promoted on their platform, research has shown Facebook *recommends* them to vulnerable audiences.
Meanwhile, US advertisers have increased spend by 30%.
Meanwhile, US advertisers have increased spend by 30%.
Sigh, Zuckerberg is doubling down to @repannwagner on the idea that the reason Facebook's numbers for illegal child sexual exploitation happening on its platform are so high is because they are a leader in the industry and choosing to report it.
@RepAnnWagner now @NydiaVelazquez asking Zuckerberg why he lied to @EU_Competition about integration with WhatsApp Facebook promised wouldn't happen. Her
"have you learned that you should not lie?" was a fair, simple question to someone who hasn't answered questions about its dumpster fire.
"have you learned that you should not lie?" was a fair, simple question to someone who hasn't answered questions about its dumpster fire.
@RepAnnWagner @NydiaVelazquez @EU_Competition Second time Zuckerberg asked what Facebook gets out of it. One mighty simply think it's a biz opportunity masked as consumer innovation. Reality is it gets everyone debating future creating FUD with China around our most critical infrastructure. Don't be played.
@RepAnnWagner @NydiaVelazquez @EU_Competition "If it's a valid subpoena, we'll honor it" is pretty rich from Zuckerberg considering he has refused to honor summons to testify in front of now 15 international Parliaments in Canada and United Kingdom. The idea they'll simply willingly follow the letter of the law is absurd.
@RepAnnWagner @NydiaVelazquez @EU_Competition Oooh, Zuckerberg in a🥨 with question what would happen if regulators don't approve but Libra association decides to move forward regardless considering Zuckerberg's assurance Facebook won't move forward without regulator approval. He has to work hard to not say we can stop them.
@RepAnnWagner @NydiaVelazquez @EU_Competition Don't let this be about censorship & free speech. It's not. We agree Facebook shouldn't be censoring legal speech - even misinfo. It should exist for those who explicitly seek it out. BUT...their algorithms provide reach and velocity to disinfo which ties to profits for Facebook.
In real-world example, the slowed-down misleading video of Pelosi. We actually said focus shouldn't be on whether it should exist or not. Our concern was it took something like 31 hours to be identified and slowed down. It's FB providing reach and velocity which causes damage.
This. with reminder US marketers increased their investment into his company by 30% last year.
If you find yourself being sympathetic to Facebook's CEO in the grilling he is receiving, please stop. Realize he hasn't even been asked about this yet which came out after his last testimony. "U.N...blames Facebook for incitement" reuters.com/article/us-mya…
And here is my documented list of more than 60 unique press and policy reports on very bad Facebook stuff in one year. I stopped counting in March. The firehose makes it hard to realize and keep track of Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp's systemic business model now antitrust problem. 
While we're on break, a flashback to last April when Zuckerberg got very weird (his tone and posture stood out significantly) when asked about Palantir, his board member's company. We've since learned from @chrisinsilico 's book possibly why.
Questioning whether Libra creates systemic risk. It’s impossible to float this question without noting Facebook mines web behavior on over 8.3 million websites to created detailed dossiers of personal data on 2+ Billion people designed to maximize profits on microtargeting them.
good to hear @RepAGonzalez make important point that facebook isn't the equivalent of the internet, it's important we do it (own the future of currency) but it doesn't need to be done by Facebook and/or Mark Zuckerberg. He doesn't trust Facebook's level of involvement.
@RepAGonzalez smart. @RepKatiePorter probing why Facebook is arguing in court users have no right to privacy despite CEO Zuckerberg's platitudes about its focus on privacy. I believe she's referencing 9th circuit suit with this recent scorcher from judge. law.com/therecorder/20…
@RepAGonzalez @RepKatiePorter good questions by @RepCindyAxne following up on data that Facebook harvests on individuals who aren't even members of Facebook. Facebook, 18 months after Zuckerberg promised Congress, is still rolling out its Clear History tool which is a bear-minimum tool to wipe surveillance.
@RepAGonzalez @RepKatiePorter @RepCindyAxne woah. @RepCasten asking questions of CEO Zuckerberg about his meeting with President Trump. People will focus on this Q&A but I think it may say more about how he answered @SenatorCantwell last spring. Same weird change in tone. Revisit Cantwell's q's on Palantir and Peter Thiel.
@RepAGonzalez @RepKatiePorter @RepCindyAxne @RepCasten @SenatorCantwell and @RepCasten points toward antitrust.
when there are concentrations of power...
(1) allow it to take over govt -> embrace fascism
(2) allow govt to take it over -> embrace communism
(3) embrace competition
"your luxury, your privilege, as a country we've always chosen door 3."
when there are concentrations of power...
(1) allow it to take over govt -> embrace fascism
(2) allow govt to take it over -> embrace communism
(3) embrace competition
"your luxury, your privilege, as a country we've always chosen door 3."
@RepAGonzalez @RepKatiePorter @RepCindyAxne @RepCasten @SenatorCantwell interesting. Rep Emmer seems to be trying to cast hearing as not smart on tech again like spring 2018. I think that's unfair. Congress, staff, press, think tanks, academics, industry all continue to educate each other with hearings like this. We have problems, digging in is good.
@RepAGonzalez @RepKatiePorter @RepCindyAxne @RepCasten @SenatorCantwell CEO Zuckerberg finally questioned under oath regarding company's 2.5yr+ cover-up of scandal which drove down its stock down by $35B and shook the globe. @CommonsCMS @IanCLucas @DamianCollins @JoStevensLabour have been asking about this for a while.
He says:
-he learned about Cambridge Analytica in Mar 2018.
-doesn't know when Sandberg knew
-members of leadership knew PRIOR to Dec 11, 2015 Guardian report
-then restates he actually knew about them before March 2018, just not what they were doing.
-he learned about Cambridge Analytica in Mar 2018.
-doesn't know when Sandberg knew
-members of leadership knew PRIOR to Dec 11, 2015 Guardian report
-then restates he actually knew about them before March 2018, just not what they were doing.
So Mark Zuckerberg either lied under oath today -or- at minimum is unfit to run Facebook. Read the evidence in SEC claim here. He testified he wasn’t aware of issues until March 2018 and doesn’t know when his COO or board was aware. ht @aoc @carolecadwalla
So we now know how Zuckerberg's tone and body language gets weird when he's answering questions on an uncomfortable topic. Here he is answering questions by @SenatorCantwell regarding Peter Thiel and Palantir last spring....
then today when answering questions by @repcasten about his Oval Office meeting with President Trump. Watch both clips and, tell me his tone and body language aren't significantly different than every other set of answers.
