Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified at a Congressional hearing on April 10th about his company’s privacy policies. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) took Zuckerberg to task saying, “Facebook’s privacy policy sucks.”
Senator Kennedy said,
Here’s what everybody has been trying to tell you today and I say this gently: Your user agreement sucks. The purpose of that user agreement is to cover Facebook’s rear end. It’s not to inform your users about their rights.
Zuckerberg was called to testify before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees. The hearing was set after news broke that Cambridge Analytica obtained millions of Facebook user profiles it used as part of its strategy during Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
“Here’s what everybody has been trying to tell you today and I say this gently: Your user agreement sucks.The purpose of that user agreement is to cover Facebook’s rear end. It’s not to inform your users about their rights,” @SenJohnKennedy blasts Mark Zuckerberg. pic.twitter.com/PJntv00rnP
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 10, 2018
Before the hearing, Facebook said the profiles were collected in violation of its terms of service, and that steps have been taken to prevent other companies from doing the same. The social networking service is also planning to make it easier for user to see what apps have access to their profiles.
[FTC Launches Investigation into Facebook’s Privacy Practices]
[Here’s What You Need to Know About Managing Your FaceBook Account]
Senator Kennedy also asked Zuckerberg was willing to give users more control over their data. Zuckerberg replied, “Senator, as somebody who uses Facebook I believe you should have complete control over your data.”
While I don’t disagree, don’t they all? Aren’t all EULAs written to cover the companies @$$ and not to protect the consumer?
My thoughts, too, geo. How can anyone criticize Facebook without going after the lot? And don’t get me wrong, I wish we would. We need sweeping reform here, and if Apple will pick up the gauntlet, they are primed to lead the way.