Discussion

• @benthompson Ben Thompson on x

  It remains very problematic that companies that work harder to root out awful content online (and thus have higher reported numbers) are villified as “not doing enough” when their competitors by definition are doing far less. Huge incentive problem.

• @tonyromm Tony Romm on x

  Water: “Facebook's plans to create a digital currency, Libra, and a digital wallet, Calibra, raise many concerns related to privacy, trading risk, discrimination ... national security, monetary policy and the security of the global financial system” nbd there

• @ashleyfeinberg Ashley Feinberg on x

  lol mark zuckerberg thinks it shouldn't rest on one company's shoulders to make decisions about speech which.... is correct! he's so close!

• @joshconstine Josh Constine on x

  Zuckerberg says it would be reasonable for regulators to mandate that Libra be majority-backed by US dollars, not foreign currencies https://twitter.com/...

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  also noteworthy that the lines of questioning are far more sophisticated than they were a year ago during senate testimony i would assume after being pilloried after “senator, we run ads,” congress wanted to be much more prepared this go-round

• @tomselliott Tom Elliott on x

  .@RepAlGreen is incredulous Mark Zuckerberg doesn't know how many staffers working on Libra are LGBT pic.twitter.com/K6AJXFIZlp

• @kevinroose Kevin Roose on x

  Things I have learned from Congress today: — Facebook is a multi-trillion-dollar company — Mark Zookerman is the CEO of Facebook — Libra's real name is the “Zuck Buck”

• @ceciliakang Cecilia Kang on x

  These are very tough/good Qs: Rep. Green: of 21 members of Libra Association, how many headed by women, minorities, LGBTQ. Zuckerberg cannot answer

• @can @can on x

  I was surprised Zuckerberg, who by most accounts is a smart person, not just got fooled into believing cryptocurrencies are a thing, but also went to double down on Libra. https://twitter.com/...

• @rowlsmanthorpe Rowland Manthorpe on x

  How to use five minutes with Mark Zuckerberg, the Congress playbook: 1. Waste two minutes recapping what's just happened 2. Ask a question you could easily Google 3. Interrupt - so tough! 4. Rush him to finish as you're running out of time 5. “Thank you Mr Zuckerman”

• @caseynewton Casey Newton on x

  We just got our first “Mr. Zuckerman” of the hearing

• @kellymakena Makena Kelly on x

  BIG! Rep. Bill Huizenga asks what Facebook would do if the Libra Association decided to launch its cryptocurrency project without US regulator approval. Zuckerberg: “Then I believe [Facebook] would be forced to leave the Association.”

• @b_fung Brian Fung on x

  We're on to housing discrimination issues. Rep. Lacy Clay asks if Facebook would comply with any future subpoenas or document requests that could shed light on housing advertisers' behavior. Zuckerberg assents, after a brief pause.

• @matthewstoller Matt Stoller on x

  This hearing is so annoying. It's basically: Q: You helped do a genocide. What the fuck. A: We've learned a lot over the past few years and we've put new systems in place.

• @kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x

  Congress does memes pic.twitter.com/CRajtxT1DA

• @markscott82 Mark Scott on x

  Should add: whatever US lawmakers say today, regulators — in US and elsewhere — have already acted. Central bankers, competition authorities & privacy regulators all have said Libra won't go ahead without major changes. In short, today is pure political theater.

• @willoremus Will Oremus on x

  Oh good, a question about Facebook censoring conservatives and antivaxxers! I was afraid we might get through an hour of hearing about a *cryptocurrency product* without Congress advancing any antivaxx conspiracies.

• @juliacarriew Julia Carrie Wong on x

  This interaction with @RepGregoryMeeks is another example of how Zuckerberg's attempts to cloak his company in progressive social values (the civil rights movement, serving the unbanked) falls apart at the slightest scrutiny.

• @alexeheath Alex Heath on x

  Congresswoman Velazquez brings up precedent regarding Facebook's promise to keep Libra data separate from the rest of the company: FB told the EU it wouldn't link data with WhatsApp post acquisition, but did anyway and was fined. She asks if FB has learned to not lie this time.

• @stevekopack Steve Kopack on x

  Zuckerberg essentially just announced that Facebook will be launching its news tab later this week. He says he hopes it will support and “fund” “high quality journalism”

• @ceciliakang Cecilia Kang on x

  These FB offenses reminders running on giant screens in the room https://twitter.com/...

• @yoda Drew Olanoff on x

  to zuckerberg's defense, if they don't let him answer questions, what's the point of this

• @ashleyfeinberg Ashley Feinberg on x

  devastating pic.twitter.com/2JZGvDAFgt

• @kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x

  Good questions and answers from Congress and Zuck so far. This hearing is shaping up to be better than the last one.

• @alexeheath Alex Heath on x

  While testifying today in DC re: Libra, Mark Zuckerberg was asked if his views on China have evolved. He used to be more optimistic about doing business in China, but doing so now “compromises American companies' ability to promote our values abroad and around the world.”

• @bigblackjacobin Edward Ongweso Jr on x

  There is not one Internet and as long as we keep pretending there is then Facebook will be able to launder this idea that it can spread its ideals to every corner of that internet

• @markscott82 Mark Scott on x

  The idea that FB sees political ads as a way for underrepresented groups being able to spread their messages that don't make it to voters through media is BS. Majority of political ads are bought by existing political groups/candidates, not grassroots organizations.

• @antoniogm Antonio García Martínez on x

  This Zuckerberg congressional hearing we're going to figure it all out. This time it's really going down. (Staging political pseudo-events online and flogging them via social media to discuss how online pseudo-events and social media are a political problem is exquisite.)

• @kellymakena Makena Kelly on x

  Zuckerberg says that “Facebook will not be a part of the launching of Libra” until all US regulators have approved it. Leaving a lot of room for Libra to launch without Facebook at first tho...

• @jason_kint Jason Kint on x

  Pay attention to how Zuckerberg attempts Facebook to be synonymous with Internet. Some members, maybe on both sides, will assist. It ring hollow with anyone who knows space even in Valley. Facebook is a closed platform which makes everyone look bad and has eroded trust. Period.

• @jeffjohnroberts Jeff Roberts on x

  “I get that I'm not the ideal messenger for this ... A lot of people wish it was anyone but Facebook building this” — Zuckerberg

• @sarahfrier Sarah Frier on x

  Maxine Waters tells Zuckerberg he clearly feels like he's above the law and needs to fix all of Facebook's real problems before starting with Libra and creating new ones.

• @ceciliakang Cecilia Kang on x

  Waters now says: Facebook has opened a serious discussion on breakup.

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  zuckerberg hearing starting and there's an insane amount of photographers and now random aides and other people just walking up and taking cell phone photos of MZ Rep. Waters is trying to figure out if they want to let people stay huddled down there in a photo scrum

• @ceciliakang Cecilia Kang on x

  Let's go. Zuckerberg before House Financial Services Committee to defend Libra and a whole lots of issues facing Facebook https://twitter.com/...

• @mims Christopher Mims on x

  Why isn't Sheryl Sandberg CEO yet? Zuckerberg would make a fine CTO. It doesn't feel like he has the self-awareness to understand why he probably should no longer be the public face of the company he founded. https://twitter.com/...

• @johnrobb John Robb on x

  People are getting smarter. In order to get the public's permission to build a *global* system, you need to do far more than buy off governments and incentivize business partners. You need to pay *everyone* in the world a generous and ongoing royalty for the privilege. https://tw…

• @reuters @reuters on x

  Zuckerberg to tell Congress Facebook is ‘not the ideal messenger’ for Libra currency https://www.reuters.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @ceciliakang Cecilia Kang on x

  Lucky to work with fabulous @mikeisaac @nathanielpopper on all things Libra. We'll all be back tomorrow for the hearing. Watch stream starting 10 a.m. here: https://financialservices.house.gov/ ... It's going to be looong (60 members) (there will be tweeting) https://twitter.com/…

• @nathanielpopper Nathaniel Popper on x

  “I know some people wonder whether we can be trusted to build payment services that protect consumers,” Zuckerberg is set to say tmrw in his second appearance in front of Congress. His testimony goes heavy on recognizing that FB's rap is holding FB back. https://www.nytimes.com/.…

• @davidhmandel David Mandel on x

  Mark Zuckerberg will tell the House Financial Services Committee Wednesday that Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency will bring millions of people who don't use banks into the financial system and help pay for lots of illegal Russian political advertising. https://www.axios.com/...

• @_cingraham Christopher Ingraham on x

  tired: teach the homeless how to code wired: give the homeless a bitcoin wallet https://twitter.com/...

• @jbouie B-Boy Bouiebaisse on x

  excuse me? https://www.axios.com/...

• @asmith83 Adam Smith on x

  what if we just taxed him instead https://www.axios.com/...

• @anandwrites Anand Giridharadas on x

  Billionaires are becoming parodies of billionaires. https://www.axios.com/...

• @johnwilson John S. Wilson on x

  Odd criticism: “Zuckerberg did not clearly explain why Facebook felt the need to propose a new cryptocurrency as part of its system when competitors like PayPal's Venmo, Apple Pay or Square Cash function perfectly well with existing government-backed currencies.” https://twitter.…

• @slightlylate Alex Russell on x

  “...and China's doing it...” seems more of an alarm bell than a defense. https://twitter.com/...