Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg won't appear before UK MPs over data row

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg will not answer questions from British lawmakers over how millions of users' data got into the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica as the company faces further pressure on both sides of the Atlantic.
 
Zuckerberg will instead send his Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer or Chief Product Officer Chris Cox to appear before parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee.
 
British MPs, however, renewed their demand to interview Zuckerberg personally over a data privacy row.
 

Damian Collins, the chairman of the House of Commons digital, culture and media committee, said that the seriousness of the allegations meant it was “appropriate” for Zuckerberg to offer an explanation himself, whether in person or via videolink. Zuckerberg apologized last week for the mistakes Facebook had made and promised tougher steps to restrict developers' access to such information, which saw the company's share price fall and prompt new questions from politicians and regulators.

 
In a letter published by the committee on Tuesday, a senior British Facebook executive offered to send Schroepfer or chief product officer Chris Cox to London next month.
 
“We’d be very happy to invite Mr Cox to give evidence,” Collins said at the start of a committee hearing on Tuesday.
 
"However we would still like to hear from Mr Zuckerberg as well.
 
"We will seek to clarify with Facebook whether he is available to give evidence or not, because that wasn't clear from our correspondence, and if he is available to give evidence then we would be happy to do that either in person or via video link if that would be more convenient for him.”

 
In the letter to Collins, Rebecca Stimson, head of public policy for Facebook UK, wrote: “Facebook fully recognizes the level of public and Parliamentary interest in these issues and support your belief that these issues must be addressed at the most senior levels of the company by those in an authoritative position.”