The past always pursues us
In 2015, Facebook asked the consultant to erase that data from its internal documents. However, Facebook did absolutely nothing to prove that Cambridge Analytica, which was founded by Donald Trump's biggest supporter, billionaire Robert Mercer, did.Why did not Facebook identify the Russians who were posting political messages on the social network in the US election campaign, and why did they keep that information secret? Is it a case of abysmal negligence? Or is it a concealment of an event that could have changed the electoral contest?
For a long time, the attitude of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, was not to answer the senators. Locked in Silicon Valley, at a distance from Washington greater than the one that separates Madrid from Moscow, the founder, owner, CEO, and president of Facebook used to make lawmakers wait for days until they return calls.However, Zuckerberg spent a whole day meeting with senators and representatives.
The era of arrogance has passed. The superb young man who delegated to associate with politicians in his 'number two', Sheryl Sandberg, but who harbored presidential dreams for himself, spent a whole day with them, while making his apologies to the press once again for the scandal libertine after the data of 87 million users passed, without their consent, to the Cambridge Analytica consultancy, which in turn employed them in campaigns in favor of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump.The financial muscle of Facebook has not been able to dominate the hecatomb that disputes its business model and that of Google, the other Internet giant that bases its activity on the data of its users. Therefore, this meeting with the Committees on Judicial Affairs and Trade, Science, and Transport, Zuckerberg should be very careful.
And about it, everyone questions what will be the attitude adopted by Zuckerberg, perhaps say that it is impossible to control information on the Internet. Which will be on this occasion the position of the senators, will accept that idea, or will they manifest their defense of some type of regulation.In case of possible regulation, it will be carried out through reforms that the current legislative framework allows, or will defend the creation of new laws that protect privacy and data.Zuckerberg will bet to defend a greater liberalization of the US immigration system that allows Facebook and other giants of Silicon Valley to conquer qualified labor from outside the US.
That will be an idea that the senators will buy, especially the Democrats and Republicans who oppose Trump. At this point, how will the Democrats react to Zuckerberg, after years of 'romance' between the company and that party, now that they almost blame Facebook having given the White House to Donald Trump.
In turn, what will be the attitude of the Republicans, who are silent in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but who in the past had criticized the alleged pro-democrat and center-left bias of the contents to which Facebook gave priority ?The truth is that everyone is expectant before this meeting and what would be the future connotations that it can bring to the United States, Facebook and the rest of the world.