Judiciary Dem wants Zuckerberg to testify on Cambridge Analytica

Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) is calling for Mark Zuckerberg to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on reports that a political research firm connected to President Trump’s 2016 campaign improperly accessed data for 50 million Facebook users.

Cicilline, the top Democrat on the Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, sent a letter to Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) asking that he invite the Facebook CEO to testify. 

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“This incident is only Facebook’s latest abuse of public trust and attempt to obscure its role in the rise of information warfare and propaganda online,” Cicilline wrote, blasting Facebook’s lack of  transparency over the incident.

Cicilline is the latest in a growing group of lawmakers who want to see Zuckerberg testify before Congress on Cambridge Analytica reportedly accessing the Facebook data without the knowledge or consent of the users. 

Goodlatte’s office declined to comment on the letter, but a Judiciary Committee aide told The Hill that the panel has scheduled a briefing with Facebook officials.

In his letter, Cicilline argued that the “lack of congressional oversight” is partly to blame for Facebook’s string of controversies, including the Cambridge Analytica revelations, and he said the company needs to be scrutinized for its dominance over online communications.

“The Judiciary Committee needs to convene a hearing on this matter as soon as possible,” he wrote.