Founder & CEO Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook testifies before U.S. Senate Commerce and Judiciary joint Committees to assure protection of users' data
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
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Mark Zuckerberg is now in US Congress to give his testimony over the privacy scandal (AFP)
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VietPress USA (April 10, 2018): Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (/ˈzʌkərbɜːrɡ/; born May 14, 1984) is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is a co-founder of Facebook, and is currently its chairman and chief executive officer. His net worth is estimated to be US $72.5 billion as of March 5, 2018.
Worldwide, there are over 2.13 billion monthly active Facebook users for Q4 2017 (Facebook MAUs) which is a 14 percent increase year over year. (Source: Facebook 01/31/18) What this means for you: In case you had any lingering doubts, statistically, Facebook is too big to ignore.
There are 1.15 billion mobile daily active users (Mobile DAU) for December 2016, an increase of 23 percent year-over-year. (Source: Facebook as of 2/01/17) This is hugely significant and shows the dramatic growth of mobile traffic on Facebook. Please note that this was the last official division received in IR press releases of a delineation of mobile DAU from other metrics. Mobile advertising revenue is reported and according to Facebook, it represented approximately 88 percent of advertising revenue for Q3 2017 up from 84 percent in Q3 2016.
1.40 billion people on average log onto Facebook daily and are considered daily active users (Facebook DAU) for December 2017, which represents a 14 percent increase year over year (Source: Facebook as 01/31/17). Sixty-six percent of Facebook’s audience would be considered DAU versus Monthly Active Users (MAU). The Implication: A huge and vastly growing number of Facebook users are active and consistent in their visits to the site, making them a promising audience for your marketing efforts.
There are 1.74 billion mobile active users (Mobile Facebook MAU) for December 2016 which is an increase of 21% year-over-year (Source: Facebook as of 02/01/17).
On average, the Like and Share Buttons are viewed across almost 10 million websites daily. (Source: Facebook as of 10/2/2014)
In 2016 Facebook let Cambridge Analytica collected more than 87 Million of Facebook Users' data and let Russia to use Facebook data to meddle the U.S. Presidential Election 2016.
Zuckerberg took responsibility for the missteps. "We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. And it was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."
Read this news by The Washington Post on NDTV at:
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/i-started-facebook-and-am-responsible-says-mark-zuckerberg-in-testimony-1835724?browserpush=true
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I Started Facebook And Am Responsible, Says Mark Zuckerberg In Testimony
Mark Zuckerberg's testimony came at a rare, joint hearing before two Senate panels -
Commerce and Judiciary committees - meeting in joint session, with 44 senators.
World | (c) 2018 The Washington Post | Craig Timberg, Tony Romm and Elizabeth Dwoskin, The Washington Post
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg endured an hours-long grilling by dozens of U.S. senators Tuesday during which he repeatedly apologized and promised privacy reforms but also pointedly defended his company against the threat of new legislation.
Zuckerberg invoked Facebook's unlikely journey - from a tiny startup he co-founded in his Harvard dorm room 14 years ago to a social media behemoth - in explaining Facebook's frequent privacy missteps and its failure to spot and defeat Russia's aggressive campaign to manipulate American voters in 2016 and beyond.
"If Facebook and other online companies will not or cannot fix these privacy invasions, then we will," said Sen. Bill Nelson, Fla., the highest-ranking Democrat on the Commerce Committee.
Placard for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, on a witness table before the joint hearing in Washington
Facebook's stock price, sagging since last month's revelations about how the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly gained access to personal information on 87 million Facebook users, rose during his testimony to end up 4.5 percent for the day, outperforming a generally strong market.
Still, the issues raised in the hearing strike at deep problems for one of the most highflying technology companies. Gallup found in a poll released this week that 43 percent of Americans are "very concerned" about Facebook's invasions of privacy - an increase of 13 percentage points since 2011, when Gallup conducted a similar poll.
Zuckerberg, who traded his trademark T-shirt and hoodie for the standard Capitol Hill garb of a dark suit and tie, had holed up with advisers in Washington over the weekend to prepare for the hearing. His tone was one of practiced and patient contrition as he described the company's recent failings and efforts to remedy them.
Mark Zuckerberg greets Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., prior to a Senate committee hearing.
Zuckerberg took responsibility for the missteps. "We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. And it was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."
Yet there was a broader context to the hearing, coming amid rising complaints about how a range of leading tech companies profit from virtually unfettered access to user data - something increasingly restricted in Europe and elsewhere in the world.
In other comments, Zuckerberg singled out Facebook's inability to identify and combat Russian disinformation efforts as one of his "biggest regrets" and added, "One of my top priorities in 2018 is getting this right."
He also confirmed for the second time since February that Facebook officials have been interviewed by investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller III, who have been looking into Russia's role in influencing the 2016 election.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives for a Senate committee hearing in Washington
Zuckerberg's acknowledgments of responsibility punctuated an extraordinary shift in tone for him and the company. He has strained in recent weeks to convince lawmakers, users and regulators that Facebook is determined to deliver meaningful change after repeated privacy controversies.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has its own hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Several senators asked for detailed answers about how private, third-party companies gained access to personal data on tens of millions of Americans.
Others questioned whether the very business model of Facebook - which makes money by selling online advertisements based on what it learns about users on the platform - was flawed.
"Mr. Zuckerberg, in many ways, you and the company that you've created, the story you've created, represent the American Dream," said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Commerce Committee. "Many are incredibly inspired by what you've done. At the same time, you have an obligation, and it's up to you, to ensure that dream doesn't become a privacy nightmare."
Cutouts of Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg are displayed near the Capitol in Washington
At first, Zuckerberg tried to sidestep the question, saying that most people at the company didn't agree with the memo. Graham shot back, saying, "If somebody who said this worked for me, I'd fire him."
Zuckerberg replied that he believes it's important to create a work environment where people feel free to speak their minds.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said later in the hearing, "We've seen the apology toursbefore. . . . I don't see how you can change your business model unless there are different rules of the road."
Mark Zuckerberg took responsibility for the missteps in his testimony (Reuters)
In one of the most contentious exchanges of the afternoon, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, accused Facebook of a "pervasive pattern of political bias" against conservatives. Zuckerberg disputed the allegation, saying he worked to prevent such bias despite acknowledging that Silicon Valley was "an extremely left-leaning place."
Another pointed exchange took place when Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., asked Zuckerberg what hotel he stayed at Monday night and the names of anyone he messaged this week. Zuckerberg, appearing amused by the question, declined to answer.
Durbin shot back, "I think that may be what this is all about: your right to privacy, the limits of your right to privacy and how much you give away in modern America in the name of quote, 'connecting people around the world.' "
The 138-seat hearing room on the second floor of Capitol Hill where Mark Zuckerberg testified (Reuters)
The air of expectation around the hearing was remarkable, even by the standards of televised Capitol Hill political theater. Spectators lined up along the walls of the Hart Senate Office Building hours in advance, snaking from the 138-seat hearing room on the second floor.
One attendee arrived dressed as a Russian troll - in a scout-like uniform with fake troll hair and a scarf resembling a Russian flag. Three others in the crowd rose before Zuckerberg entered to protest. Wearing neon-colored, oversize glasses that read "stop spying," they displayed poster boards - labeled Code Pink - with slogans like"stop corporate spying" and "protect our privacy" and "Like us on Facebook."
Mark Zuckerberg before the Senate Committee for hearing at Hart Senate Office Building
Facebook has been reeling since the November 2016 election, during which phony news reports spread widely on its platform and Russian operatives mounted an ambitious campaign to divide American voters, damage Democrat Hillary Clinton and bolster the chances of Republican Donald Trump.
Facebook appeared to be recovering from those controversies until last month's revelations about Cambridge Analytica. Facebook last week acknowledged a separate problem in which "malicious actors" were able to identify and collect data on Facebook users on such a massive scale that most of the company's 2.2 billion users were affected.
As the company has mobilized to quell rising political opposition, Facebook also has wrestled government investigations in the United States and Europe. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating potential violations of a 2011 consent decree over privacy policy at Facebook that could lead to record fines for the company.
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