Brian Fung | @[email protected]

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Rep. Pressley: “You represent the power, but you don’t understand the pain. There is underbanking because people are broke." — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Zuckerberg also says they did not discuss Facebook’s policies on fact-checking politicians. Zuck is clearly uncomfortable revealing this information and tries to protest repeatedly. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Finally, somebody asks what went on in the Zuckerberg meeting with President Trump. Zuckerberg says he doesn’t think they talked about antitrust investigations, then confirms “those subjects didn’t come up” with Trump. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

And then promises more fulsome responses later. But it certainly sounds like if non-users’ data gets collected (say if a FB user uploads their phone number) the non-users have no say in that. Whether they should is a potential debate. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Zuckerberg is being asked how users who don’t have Facebook accounts can control information that the company may collect on them. Zuckerberg says FB doesn’t build profiles of non-account holders but it does sometimes receive “signals” about non-users from other services online — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

The theater surrounding Zuckerberg is somehow the least dramatic thing happening on the Hill today. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Kind of a rough moment for Zuckerberg: Porter asked if he would spend an hour a day looking at bad content under the same conditions as his contractors. Zuck: "I’m not sure it would best serve our community for me to spend that much time but I spend a lot of time” looking at it. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Zuckerberg asks for a break. “I’m just up here drinking a lot of water…” Waters agrees to a break after the next round of questions, from Rep. Porter. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Asked who will be responsible if Libra fails, Zuckerberg said that’s one of the questions that he’ll be working with regulators on. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Another earlier moment that was kind of remarkable, which I had to go back to the tape to listen to several times: https://t.co/ck0OGpM7IC — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

@CharlottesWWWeb That was my interpretation as well. Sorry if that didn’t come across. “Long time” as in, it’ll take a long time to refine. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Coming back to an earlier moment: Zuckerberg seemed to shed more light on his view of the “risks” associated with Libra. One risk, he said, is that Libra launches and it takes a long time for it to become a workable product. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Zuck seems to be drawing a distinction between what’s technically feasible and the governing product policies. It sounds like it would be possible but that it could be prohibited (only?) by product policies. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Rep. Foster is pressing Zuckerberg to say whether it’s technologically possible under Libra’s specs to do anonymous transactions, which he said would raise a lot of problems. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

RT @MiekeEoyang: A few words on why Gaetz stunt to storm the SCIF to disrupt Laura Cooper's deposition is a VERY serious national security… — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Quite possibly the most meaningless question of the day so far: Rep. Roger Williams asks Zuckerberg: "Mr Zuckerberg, are you a capitalist or a socialist?” Zuckerberg, suppressing a laugh: “Congressman, I would definitely consider myself a capitalist." — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

RT @jolingkent: Rep Perlmutter asks a series of confused questions on Libra. Zuckerberg tries to explain what it is. Oof. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Technically Jeff Bezos is the world’s wealthiest man. Zuckerberg is only #8 on Forbes’ billionaires list. https://t.co/TKTvEdsqof — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

We’re on a break! Which gives me a chance to go back and fact-check this zinger. Sherman said "for the richest man in the world to come here and hide behind the poorest people in the world and say that’s who you’re trying to help… [sigh]” That is 🔥, but — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Rep. Andy Barr accuses politicians of trying to “bully” Facebook into fact-checking politicians’ ads. “Don’t be bullied by politicians who want to censor politically incorrect speech,” he says. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

This is a good moment to just step back a bit. So far, the hearing has had its fiery theatrical moments but the entire thing has been pretty substantive and enlightening. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Rep. Stivers greets Zuckerberg, asks how he’s doing. Zuckerberg takes a breath, then says gamely: “I’m doing okay.” Laughter in the audience. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

This is big: Finally asked what happens if the Libra Association moves ahead without US policymaker approval, Zuckerberg says Facebook would be “forced to leave” the group. "If at the end of the day we don't receive the clearances … we will not be a part of the association." — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

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. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

RT @donie: Zuckerberg's reaction after a five minute put-down from Rep. @BradSherman https://t.co/ibtg9ZIwve — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

In a searing attack on Zuckerberg, Rep. Brad Sherman said Meeks had “called your bluff” on helping the unbanked. Sherman accused Zuckerberg, one of the world’s wealthiest men, of trying to “hide behind the poorest people in the world” to justify the Libra project. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Posey asks Zuck if he can be 100% sure vaccines don’t pose a risk, and if he can’t, why Facebook won’t let “somebody have the opportunity to express an opinion different from yours” — Zuckerberg says Facebook won’t promote anti-vax content but doesn’t stop people from finding it. — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Wait… is Rep. Posey challenging Facebook by advancing an anti-vax argument? — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Rep. Meeks is slamming Facebook for not doing more to support the existing infrastructure to help the unbanked, such as minority depository institutions, and instead embarking on a massively ambitious project (or “risky,” in Zuckerberg’s own words). — PolitiTweet.org

Brian Fung | @[email protected] @b_fung

Zuckerberg declined to say he would wait for Congress to develop legislation on Libra before moving forward with the project. This gives more definition to the limits of what Facebook means when it says it won’t move ahead until policymakers’ concerns are addressed. — PolitiTweet.org