Evidence of meeting #153 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was facebook.
A video is available from Parliament.
Chair, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, United Kingdom House of Commons
Would Facebook be able to write to the committee with the answer to that question?
Global Policy Director, Facebook Inc.
Well, sir, I should clarify. I think it is the case, if you look at the transparency report—
Chair, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, United Kingdom House of Commons
So sorry, sir, we're running out of time.
I just want to say, if you don't have the answer to that question now—
Chair, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, United Kingdom House of Commons
—the company can write to us with it.
Global Policy Director, Facebook Inc.
The vast majority of accounts are actually disabled before a human can even interact with them.
Chair, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, United Kingdom House of Commons
Okay.
Could Facebook commit to the write to the committee to say—
Chair, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, United Kingdom House of Commons
—how many of those accounts that were deleted, those 3.3 billion, were sharing disinformation? The company is saying that they're more likely to be sharing disinformation than other sorts of accounts.
Chair, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, United Kingdom House of Commons
Finally, in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal last year, Facebook announced that there would be a new feature for users to be able to clear their browser history. I understand that Facebook announced that this will launch later this year. This does seem to be a long period of time. If this were a product launch that Facebook would be making money out of, one sort of feels it would have come on quicker. This doesn't seem to be a case of moving fast and breaking things, but of moving slowly.
Is Facebook able to commit to a date when the “clear browser history” function will be live?
Global Policy Director, Facebook Inc.
Sir, I think I've mentioned it a few times, including, I think, with various members about this new feature. It would probably be inadvisable for me to commit to a date, obviously, at this time. I don't want to get out ahead of my skis, but I could just say that even with the transparency measures we're putting in place in Canada, we are working down to the wire to get this right. We're going to try to roll this other product out globally. That will take—
Chair, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, United Kingdom House of Commons
I would just say, these sorts of functions are pretty widespread across the web. I think the fact that it's now been over a year since this was announced and that you can't even give a date this year when it will come into force is really poor.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Zimmer
I want to thank everybody for your testimony today.
I applaud Mr. Chan on some of the changes that you say are coming. We've heard this story many times, so I guess we will wait to see what we get at the end of the day.
It goes to what we were asking for in the first place. In good faith we asked your CEO and your COO to come before us today to work together for a solution to what these problems are that a whole bunch of countries and a whole bunch of people around the globe see as common issues. To me, it's shameful that they are not here today to answer those specific questions that you could not fully answer.
That's what's troubling. We're trying to work with you, and you're saying you are trying to work with us. We just had a message today that was forwarded to me by my vice-chair. It says, “Facebook will be testifying at the International Grand Committee this morning. Neil Potts and Kevin Chan will be testifying. Neither of whom are listed in this leadership chart of the policy team's 35 most senior officials”.
Then we're told you're not even in the top 100. No offence to you individuals, you're taking it for the team for Facebook, so I appreciate your appearance here today, but my last words to say before the committee is shame on Mark Zuckerberg and shame on Sheryl Sandberg for not showing up today.
That said, we have media availability immediately following this meeting to answer questions. We're going to be signing the Ottawa declaration just over here so we're going to have a member from each delegation sitting here as representatives.
After that, all the members of Parliament visiting from around the world are invited to attend our question period today. I'm going to point out my chief of staff, Cindy Bourbonnais. She will help you get the passes you need to sit in the House if you wish to come to QP today.
Thank you again for coming as witnesses. We will move right into the Ottawa declaration.
The meeting is adjourned.