Can Facebook be forced to comply with privacy laws?

Politicians from nine countries gathered at the British Parliament for a hearing on misinformation and fake news.

They left an empty chair for the Chief Executive of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, his non-appearance, some suggested, said it all.

They wanted to quiz him about his network’s practices, as Facebook has been heavily criticised over its use and treatment of users’ data.

It was left to the company’s vice president of policy solutions to answer the MPs questions.

They wanted to know about political adverts and possible interference in the 2016 US elections and the Brexit vote.

The company insists it complies with data protection laws, but admits it has made mistakes.

So, what does the social media giant do with its users’ data?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Preslav Nakov – senior scientist at Qatar Computing Research Institute at Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Jillian York – director of international freedom of expression, Electronic Freedom Foundation

Aral Balkan – cyborg rights activist focusing on social justice in the digital age