Mark Zuckerberg’s data misused by Cambridge Analytica

Mark Zuckerberg admits his own data was breached by Cambridge Analytica and regulation of Facebook is “inevitable’’.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has admitted his own data was exposed in the Cambridge Analytica scandal and that regulation of Facebook is now “inevitable.”

In a second day of testimony in Washington, this time to House Congressional committees, Mr Zuckerberg was subjected to more hostile questioning than the previous day. He was less composed and at times appeared frustrated as some Congressmen repeatedly cut him off before he could answer.

“While Facebook has certainly grown, I worry it has not matured. I think it is time to ask whether Facebook may have moved too fast and broken too many things,” the House panel’s leader Republican Greg Walden said as he opened the session.

Democrat Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky detailed a long list of Mr Zuckerberg’s apologies for Facebook’s shortcomings over the years, declaring that this was “proof to me that self-regulation does not work.”

The Facebook founder said that regulation of the tech industry was not only likely but was “inevitable.”

“The internet is growing in importance around the world ... I think it is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation.”

Mark Zuckerberg, second from right, leaves the Rayburn House Office Building after testifying before a House Energy and Commerce hearing on Capitol Hill. Picture: AP.

Members of Congress repeatedly pressed Mr Zuckerberg on the issue of privacy and what he intended to do about protecting personal data.

When asked by Democrat Frank Pallone whether Facebook would be willing to change its default settings to minimise collection of use of user’s data, Mr Zuckerberg struggled for an answer.

“This is a complex issue that deserves more than a one word answer,” Mr. Zuckerberg said.

“That’s disappointing to me,” Mr. Pallone responded.

Mr Zuckerberg revealed for the first time that his own data was among the 87 million Facebooks users who had their personal data misused by analysis company Cambridge Analytica. But he did not elaborate further about it.

Over five hours of questioning, Mr Zuckerberg repeated his apologies about the controversies which have plagued his company, saying he accepted full responsibility for them.

Once again he was questioned heavily on the controversies over user’s privacy, the Cambridge Analytica scandal as well as hate speech and Russian propaganda on Facebook. The CEO was also subjected to criticism for having no people of colour in the top executive ranks and for “hurting people” by failing to police users who to sell opioids on Facebook.

Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn later remarked that Facebook looks “a whole lot like the Truman Show,” where users’ information is “made available to people they don’t know, and then that data is crunched and used and they are fully unaware of this.”

Congress members repeatedly asked Mr Zuckerberg why privacy and security settings on Facebook were an “opt in” rather than an “opt out” option.

“Why is the onus on the user to opt in to privacy and security settings?” Democrat Bobby Rush asked.

While Mr Zuckerberg agree that regulation of Facebook was inevitable he also avoided giving his support for specific measures such as privacy regulation.

Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia