Mark Zuckerberg’s worry about web rules taken with a pinch of salt
Privacy advocates say Facebook CEO should not be able to make the rules
Washington — Mark Zuckerberg’s call for stepped-up government oversight of the internet met a sceptical response from privacy advocates and other critics who are frustrated with Facebook’s repeated missteps and say that its billionaire CEO should not be able to make the rules. “I don’t think it’s ultimately for Mark Zuckerberg to decide how much regulation Mark Zuckerberg is prepared to accept,” said Marc Rotenberg, president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which has lodged numerous complaints about the company’s handling of personal data. Zuckerberg’s policy gambit is likely to inflame the debate in Washington over how to rein in Facebook and other social media companies, including whether the US should adopt the European standard as it drafts a national privacy law. It could also deepen rifts within tech industry ranks, especially if efforts arise to narrow the exemption from responsibility for content posted by users on their platforms that companies such as Alphabe...
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