More to add to the Facebook drama. Zuckerberg Senate Hearing: Data Privacy, Monopoly, Regulations, Censorship.

Source

So, the senate hearing brought a couple things into the table. I won't talk about the Cambridge Analytica scandal or the Russian Meddling topics, as they're not the subject of this post. I'll be pretty straight about what I percieved from them:

• He said "my Team Will Follow Up" several times: These questions were dodged by this answer:

Have you ever required an audit to ensure the deletion of improperly transferred data? And, if so, how many times?

And is that true for -- is this practice (opt-in to sync phone and text data from android phones) done at all with minors, or do you make an exception there for persons aged 13 to 17?

There have been reports that Facebook can track a user's internet browsing activity, even after that user has logged off of the Facebook platform. Can you confirm whether or not this is true?

Now on the subject of Cambridge Analytica, were these people, the 87 million people, users, concentrated in certain states? Are you able to figure out where they're from?

Would you support a rule that would require you to notify your users of a breach within 72 hours?

But do you collect user data through cross-device tracking? And that would also include offline data, data that's tracking that's not necessarily linked to Facebook, but linked to one -- some device they went through Facebook on, is that right?

Do you track devices that an individual who uses Facebook has that is connected to the device that they use for their Facebook connection, but not necessarily connected to Facebook?

Do you consider yourself a neutral public forum, or are you engaged in political speech, which is your right under the First Amendment.?

Does he (Aleksandr Kogan) have a Facebook account still?

I'll follow up some of these questions.

• Zuckerberg doesn't commit Facebook to be a neutral public forum. When Ted Cruz confronted him to specific facts about censoring leaning conservative groups and pages, Zuckerberg was evasive about specifics about his team works, even defending them using the Hate Speech/Terrorism Card:

• "Your User Agreement Sucks". This sentence by Sen. Kennedy was one of the keys of this hearing. Zuckerberg repeadtly answered that people has plenty of control over the use of their private information. Even if that's true(ish), Facebook has so many features that keep common users to understand how can privacy be managed, and how apps are specific about the way they will manage the user's data. Pay attention to the last question Sen. Kennedy asked about possible risks about data management from Facebook, right at the end of the video:

• Senator Durbin Burn:

• Zuckerberg doesn't think that Facebook is a Monopoly:

Who's your biggest competitor?

ZUCKERBERG: Senator, we have a lot of competitors.

GRAHAM: Who's your biggest?

ZUCKERBERG: I think the categories of -- did you want just one? I'm not sure I can give one, but can I give a bunch?

GRAHAM: Yes.

ZUCKERBERG: So there are three categories that I would focus on. One are the other tech platforms -- so Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft -- we overlap with them in different ways.

GRAHAM: Do they do -- do they provide the same service you provide?

ZUCKERBERG: In different ways -- different parts of it, yes.

GRAHAM: Let me put it this way. If I buy a Ford, and it doesn't work well, and I don't like it, I can buy a Chevy. If I'm upset with Facebook, what's the equivalent product that I can go sign up for?

ZUCKERBERG: Well, there -- the second category that I was going to talk about are...

(CROSSTALK)

GRAHAM: I'm not talking about categories. I'm talking about, is there real competition you face? Because car companies face a lot of competition. If they make a defective car, it gets out in the world, people stop buying that car; they buy another one.

Is there (ph) an alternative to Facebook in the private sector?

ZUCKERBERG: Yes, Senator. The average American uses eight different apps to communicate with their friends and stay in touch with people...

(CROSSTALK)

GRAHAM: OK. Which is...

ZUCKERBERG: ... ranging from texting apps, to e-mail, to...

GRAHAM: ... is the same service you provide?

ZUCKERBERG: Well, we provide a number of different services.

GRAHAM: Is Twitter the same as what you do?

ZUCKERBERG: It overlaps with a portion of what we do.

GRAHAM: You don't think you have a monopoly?

ZUCKERBERG: It certainly doesn't feel like that to me.

Of course, a good CEO will never acknowledge any competitors names because he's protecting his brand, but at the same time discards Facebook as a monopoly, because monopolies always tend to be regulated.

Then, there's this kind-of settlement between Zuck and Sen. Graham that is kinda disturbing for me in particular, don't know how you guys feel about it:

GRAHAM: Have you ever submitted...

(LAUGHTER)

That's true. So would you work with us in terms of what regulations you think are necessary in your industry?

ZUCKERBERG: Absolutely.

GRAHAM: OK. Would you submit to us some proposed regulations?

ZUCKERBERG: Yes. And I'll have my team follow up with you so, that way, we can have this discussion across the different categories where I think that this discussion needs to happen.

So, let me explain. Zuck thinks Facebook isn't a monopoly, but he doesn't mention any competitor, so he pretty much knows that it really is, if we talk about numbers of users worldwide. So, to have Facebook to propose regulations affects other potential competitors, like us, here in our STEEM Community. It's a way to fully exercise Monopoly. How come that can be done? By pushing regulations that could affect alternate social media platforms, like decentralized social media, that it's harder to control. Those concessions from the lawmakers, lobbyists and tyrants from Silicon Valley could have repercussions against the way social media is evolving.

What do you think about it? Tell us in the comments below!
View Full Transcript of the Hearing

It is our duty to spread the truth. If you agree, i invite you to resteem the post. Let's prevent the world for what could happen if we don't take a stand against centralized social media.

• How You Can Help Support The Informationwar!
• Our Mission

The Information War is real.
Join #INFORMATIONWAR @ Discord: https://discord.gg/tDhaBS2