UK Lawmakers: Facebook Has Not Fully Answered Data Privacy Questions

UK lawmakers have claimed that social media firm Facebook has not fully answered questions relating to user data privacy.

A British parliamentary committee has claimed that Facebook has failed to fully answer 39 questions relating to fake news and data privacy, Reuters reports. The committee noted that they would once again be questioning the social media giant on issues that it had initially failed to address. The committee claimed that Facebook’s Chief Technology Officer, Mike Schroepfer, had failed to address the committees concerns about certain issues, resulting in the committee posing further questions to Facebook.

These further questions were answered by Facebook UK’s Head of Public Policy, Rebecca Stimson, who gave 39 answers to the committee’s questions. But the committee believes that these answers do not provide adequate detail and have called on the company for further explanation of certain issues. Damian Collins, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said in a statement: “It is disappointing that a company with the resources of Facebook chooses not to provide a sufficient level of detail and transparency on various points.”

The UK Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has been investigating allegations of misuse of user data surrounding Facebook’s recent scandal relating to data analysis firm Cambridge Analytica. Committee chair Collins stated that one of the areas in which Facebook lacked detail was in questions relating to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

British MPs have previously threatened to issue a formal summons to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify about the Cambridge Analytica situation, much as he did before Congress in the United States. Damian Collins wrote in a letter to Facebook:

We would like the session here to take place by 24 May… It is worth noting that, while Mr Zuckerberg does not normally come under the jurisdiction of the UK parliament, he will do so the next time he enters the country. We hope that he will respond positively to our request, but if not the committee will resolve to issue a formal summons for him to appear when he is next in the UK.