News Tip: Congress’ Reaction to Zuckerberg Should Protect Data and Democracy, Expert Says

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears before Congress Tuesday.

• Quotes:
  “The most important question that I hope gets answered in these hearings is not what Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook plan to do to protect user data, prevent the spread of fake news and defend democracy. The most important question is what types of interventions might Congress have in mind?” says Philip Napoli, a professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.

  “The political ad transparency bill that has been introduced barely scratches the surface. Facebook’s actions can prove to be of little consequence fairly quickly if Facebook follows in the path of MySpace and gets dethroned by other platforms.”

  “What is needed is a more clearly defined and rigorous regulatory framework that is focused not just on protecting consumer data, but protecting our democracy. Hopefully, these hearings will provide strong indications that Congress recognizes the magnitude of their responsibility here.”

• Bio:
  Philip Napoli, Shepley Professor of Public Policy at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, researches media institutions, media regulation and policy, such as net neutrality. He has provided expert testimony on these topics to the U.S. Senate, the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. He is an affiliate of Duke’s DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy.
   
• Archive podcast interview:
  Policy 360: Questions Around Facebook’s Algorithm Changes with Philip Napoli
   
• For additional comment, contact Phil Napoli at:
  philip.napoli@duke.edu