Zuckerberg hearing : Facebook CEO says firm is in 'arms race' with Russia and is working with Mueller election probe - as it happened

Data abuse scandal threatens to harm the social network forever

Mark Zuckerberg hearing: 'It was my mistake. And I'm sorry.'

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced more than five hours of questions from the joint Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees over the privacy and the use of citizen's data..

The long-awaited showdown – one of the first times that Mr Zuckerberg has spoken publicly since a data scandal hit – saw nearly half the US Senate, 44 legislators, interrogate Mr about an issue that threatens to permanently damage the site he co-founded.

Mr Zuckerberg agreed to testify in Congress after revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a data-mining firm affiliated with Donald Trump's presidential campaign, was sold access to personal information from 87 million Facebook users. Cambridge Analytica denies any laws were broken

In his testimony, Mr Zuckerberg disclosed that his company is “working with” special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign — and working hard to change its own policies.

“We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake," he said. "It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here.”

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Mr Zuckerberg apologised for his company's errors in failing to better protect the personal information of its millions of users, a controversy that has brought a flood of bad publicity and sent the company's stock value plunging. However, as he answered questions, Facebook shares surged and closed up 4.5 per cent for the day, the biggest gain in two years.

Mr Zuckerberg said it had been “clearly a mistake” to believe the data-mining company Cambridge Analytica had deleted user data that it had - although Analytica said on Tuesday that it had deleted all the data. Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook had considered the data collection “a closed case” because it thought the information had been discarded and therefor that is why it did not inform users when it became aware of the data use in 2015.

The Facebook founder said the company is going through “a broader philosophical shift in how we approach our responsibility.” He said the company needs to take a “more proactive role” that includes ensuring the tools it creates are used in “good and healthy” ways.

He denied that Facebook, which has more than two billion monthly users across the world, was a monopoly. “It certainly doesn't feel that way to me,” Mr Zuckerberg said.

The billionaire appeared mostly comfortable with the questioning, with some senators struggling with some aspects of the technology. Although Mr Zuckerberg was at points to point out repeatedly that Facebook "does not sell" advertising and that users "have full control" over the data they provide.

Asked about the prospect of regulation, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mr Zuckerberg said that his company would back "the right regulation".

Mr Graham asked whether the company "would work" with Congress to craft that regulation, to which Mr Zuckerberg replied: “Absolutely.”

Agencies contributed to this report

Key Points

• Zuckerberg says that some Facebook employees have been interviewed by Robert Mueller's team
• Technology billionaire calls it a 'mistake' not to ban Cambridge Analytics from Facebook in 2015
• Facebook is facing an 'ongoing arms race' with Russian interference, according to Zuckerberg
• CEO says he is willing to work with Congress to help create regulation for his industry

[10 April 2018 18:45 · Andrew Buncombe]

Mark Zuckerberg is about half an hour away from the start of his testimony. And he's been getting special coaching 

[10 April 2018 18:58 · Andrew Buncombe]

Today, Mr Zuckerberg is to appear before the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees. Tomorrow, it's the House Energy and Commerce Committee

[10 April 2018 19:13 · anthony.cuthbertson]

Mr Zuckerberg's testimony is scheduled to begin in the next few minutes, however we're just hearing it may be delayed by around 15 minutes.

[10 April 2018 19:17 · Steve Anderson]

The room where the hearing will take is a hive of activity though, as it should be for one of the most highly anticipated committee gatherings in a while.

Not that the Congress has been short of blockbuster hearings in recent months, given the investigations into Russian meddling in the US presidential election of 2016

[10 April 2018 19:19 · Steve Anderson]

Democratic Senator Kamala Harris is one of those on the committee, and she has given an indication of how long we expect the questions to go on.

​

[10 April 2018 19:22 · anthony.cuthbertson]

Before the Facebook CEO has even uttered a word, privacy advocates are already warning that the testimony will skirt around the social media giant's real issues.

Digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) tweeted a list of language to watch out for, and for lawmakers to pick Mr Zuckerberg up on. They include "bad actors," "idealistic and optimistic," and "hacking."

The EFF said: "Mark Zuckerberg will no doubt weave word games and roundabout language into his answers to Congress this week to distract from the real problem."

[10 April 2018 19:28 · Steve Anderson]

Looks like we are about to begin. Cameras focusing on some Senators taking their seats.

[10 April 2018 19:30 · anthony.cuthbertson]

Mark Zuckerberg has arrived at last. Cameras swarm him as he makes his way to his seat.

[10 April 2018 19:34 · Steve Anderson]

Chuck Grassley, the Republican Judiciary Committee chairman calls it a "unique" hearing given what is at stake over the issues of privacy.

There will be statements from the leaders of the two committees, then Mr Zuckerberg will speak.

[10 April 2018 19:35 · Steve Anderson]

First opening statement from head of the Commerce committee, John Thune, a Republican.

He says it is amazing to have one CEO talk in front of nearly half the US Senate (44 members in attendance).