Ryan Glasspiegel
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey are testifying in Congress today. Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, has been an outspoken critic of the tech companies, and thus it’s no surprise that he grilled Zuckerberg.
Senator Hawley asked Zuckerberg about an internal employee tool, Centra, that can be used to track the Facebook users.
“Centra is a tool that Facebook uses to track its users, not just on Facebook, but across the entire internet,” said Senator Hawley. “Sentra tracks different profiles that a user visits, their message recipients, their linked accounts, the pages they visit around the web that have Facebook buttons. Sentra also uses behavioral data to monitor users’ accounts, even if those accounts are registered under a different name.”
Zuckerberg said he wasn’t familiar with a tool of that name and would follow up with Senator Hawley later. Senator Hawley sarcastically implied that Zuckerberg was feigning amnesia: “It’s always amazing to me, Mr. Chairman, how many people before this committee suddenly develop amnesia. Maybe it’s something about the air in the room.”
“What we have here is clear evidence of coordination between Twitter, Google, and Facebook. Mr. Zuckerberg knows he has the tools to track this, but he doesn’t remember or won’t commit to letting us see it,” Senator Hawley concluded at the end. “We have evidence of Facebook tracking its own users all across the web. Mr. Zuckerberg won’t answer questions about it, can’t remember the name, isn’t sure if the tool is deployed in this way, and won’t commit to giving us basic information. I submit to you that this is both totally unacceptable and totally predictable, because it’s exactly what these tech companies have done to the American people and to Congress for years now, which is why it’s time we take action against these modern-day robber barons.”
Senate hearings blah blah blah.
WHERE ARE THE GODDAMN PROSECUTIONS?
Is there a jail cell shortage of which I am unaware?
Exactly. In the movie “Goodfellas,” a young Henry Hill was hanging around the gangsters which his parents didn’t approve of. Every so often, Henry would have to take a disciplinary beating from his old man but the next day would go right back to doing what he was doing. The same thing is happening with Tech. They come to Washington every so often and take their beating and then go right back to what they were doing with no consequences.
Nothing but political theater…get back to me when Jack and Zuck are facing charges.
Big Tech owns the deep state establishment. An occasional public flogging is about all that will ever happen.
Correct. I am tired of guys like Cruz and Hawley posing. Indict someone already! These hearings are nothing more than kabuki theatre.
What AustinH said
Well, the Zuckster and his Facebook censor Nazis know I subscribe to Outkick. How long until the Facebook ,Google and Twitter censor Nazis start attacking Outkick, since they are a beacon of truth?
Big Tech hates freedom of thought, opinion and the truth.
I would gladly pay $100 to punch Fuckerburg in the face one time.
Zuck makes one believe in the reptilian alien conspiracy theories. What a fucking creep.
J-Haw = Future President
In order to prosecute big tech, one needs a bevy of smart, honest prosecutors. It certainly appears there are none of those at the DOJ.