Mark Zuckerberg is facing what may be the toughest grilling of his life.
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LIVE: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is about to testify to Congress (FB)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is being grilled by US lawmakers on Tuesday, after months of scandals.
On Tuesday at some time after 2 p.m ET (11 a.m. PT, or 7 p.m. BST), the Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before a joint committee hearing of the United States Senate.
His appearance comes in the wake of a string of scandals — most recently from Cambridge Analytica improperly obtaining as many as 87 million users' personal data, but also the intense blowback the company has faced over fake news and its role in Russian interference in American elections.
Business Insider is in attendance at the hearing, and will be bringing readers all the news live — scroll down for the latest updates, including a livestream once it kicks off.
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Facebook has quietly hired a team of experts, including a former adviser to President George W. Bush, to prep Zuckerberg ahead of the hearing. The 33-year-old executive is not a natural public speaker, and can sometimes come across as awkward and uncomfortable on stage. In an on-stage interview in 2010 — where he was again grilled over privacy — Zuckerberg sweated so much he had to take off his signature hoodie.
The challenges Facebook now face are immense, and the Cambridge Analytica revelations have snowballed into a broader crisis over the company's approach to privacy and accountability. The controversy is only heightened by the leak of an executive's memo defending growth at any cost, even if people died.
The reception of Zuckerberg's testimony on Tuesday — and at a second Congressional hearing on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT, or 3 p.m. BST) — has the potential to define how Facebook is seen as responding to these crises going forward.
13:44 ET: Zuckerberg won't be under oath. Plus, expect a short delay.
Two key updates for now.
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One: There is a Senate floor vote scheduled for 14:15 ET today, so the hearing will kick off a little later than anticipated — expect the show to get started between 14:30-14:45 ET.
And second: Mark Zuckerberg won't be under oath when he testifies, so don't expect to see the iconic shot of him raising his right hand as he swears truthfulness. However,
13:33 ET: Get ready...
Hello, and welcome to Business Insider's liveblog of Mark Zuckerberg's congressional testimony!
We'll be bringing you all the latest news as it comes in. Stay tuned.
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