Mark Zuckerberg Subpoenaed in Canada Over Facebook’s Fake News
On Tuesday, according to CBS News, a Canadian Parliament committee voted unanimously to issue a subpoena for appearances from Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook CEO) and Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook COO).
Both Zuckerberg and Sandberg were reportedly requested to appear before the International Grand Committee on Disinformation and “Fake News” in Ottawa, Canada.
The request was for later on this month, but neither has responded.
In addition, Zuckerberg ignored requests to face a Canadian committee investigating any election meddling and disinformation on Facebook, according to CBS News.
However, the subpoena can only be enforced if the Facebook executives go to Canada, something that is not likely to happen any time soon.
Bob Zimmer, chair of Canada’s Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics noted that, “We’re hoping this shows them we’re serious.”
If Zuckerberg and Sandberg don’t respond to the subpoena, or refuse to appear before the committee, then the committee will “submit to the full Parliament a motion to hold them in contempt,” Zimmer told CBS News.
This isn’t the first time Zuckerberg has chosen not to attend a meeting which may have ended poorly for the Facebook CEO.
Zuckerberg was supposed to attend an International Grand Committee meeting last year in London, but he declined to attend.
In fact, the head of a British committee investigating disinformation said that if Zuckerberg ever steps food in England, he can expect a visit from authorities.
Damian Collins, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee in the UK Parliament noted that “If Mark Zuckerberg came to the UK, we would serve a summons on him, and if he refused to accept that summons then we could start contempt proceedings against him,” much the same way as Canada is going.
Facebook has been silent about it all.
