【1980 Archives】

Another Facebook hearing980 Archiveson the horizon.

Canadian and UK lawmakers have banded together in a fight against political manipulation online, according to TechCrunch. The two countries have together summoned Mark Zuckerberg to appear before a joint committee to testify on Cambridge Analytica and Facebook's role in spreading misinformation online.

Facebook has until Nov. 7 to respond.

The summons reportedly states that more countries may join the summit, but that Canada and the UK are leading the charge. God save the queen!

Both countries have already held hearings on Facebook, politics, data, and misinformation. However, Zuckerberg has not appeared before either body, though other Facebook representatives have gone in his stead. Zuckerberg did answer the EU's call, where he faced harsher questioning than he did from American lawmakers. British representatives were in attendance; notably, far-right British MEP Nigel Farage praised Facebook for helping elect Trump and pass the Brexit referendum.

In the past, hearings with Zuckerberg have certainly been entertaining, but not necessarily revelatory. The most significant piece of information that came from the Congressional hearing was Facebook's ultimate admission of its use of "shadow profiles" of non-Facebook members.

But regarding Cambridge Analytica, and Facebook policy as a whole, Zuckerberg is very good at sticking to talking points we've already heard many times before. It's not clear what another hearing would accomplish. But it could form a blueprint for international cooperation and regulation on internet issues.

Guess the world will be waiting on Zuck's RSVP.