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Now Even Russian Lawmakers Want a Piece of Mark Zuckerberg (qz.com) 73

PolygamousRanchKid shares a report from Quartz: In an ironic twist in the saga of Facebook's troubles, Russian lawmakers have declared that they, too, would like to question Mark Zuckerberg. According to the Moscow Times, senator Anton Belyakov yesterday offered to invite the Facebook CEO to address the upper chamber of the Russian parliament. "After all, he spoke about information security, not giving access to personal data, preventing the dissemination of harmful content," Belyakov reportedly said, referring to Zuckerberg's meetings with the U.S. Congress and European Parliament. Another reason for those meetings was to discuss whether the social network facilitated Russian meddling in foreign elections.

The U.S. company is in trouble with Russian authorities for disobeying a 2015 law that requires it to store the data of Russian citizens on the country's soil. In April, the state communications watchdog threatened that if Facebook didn't comply, it would face the same fate as LinkedIn, which was banned in the country last year. Much to the chagrin of UK politicians, he (Zuckerberg) has not agreed to multiple calls, and even a mild threat, to testify in front of a UK parliamentary committee.

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Now Even Russian Lawmakers Want a Piece of Mark Zuckerberg

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  • That Facebook is too big to care about the Russian requirement, and that it is effectively calling Russia's bluff by realising that too many Russians 'depend' on Facebook and the act of blocking it would be hugely unpopular. To some extent all this is true with the UK too; it is so ingrained that most action against it would be deeply unpopular.

    In short, Facebook doesn't really need Russia and doesn't really care what it's legislators think. It's perhaps slightly different matter with the EU, which is a mor

    • Facebook is not that important in Russia, certainly not as much as in Europe or NA. They have only about 35% of the market penetration compared to almost almost 61% of VKontakte (source: https://www.statista.com/stati... [statista.com]) so they can be reasonably blocked without massive issues. I also expect that most of those seriously affected would be outside Putin's power base.

    • by AHuxley ( 892839 )
      So long term Russian government questions will just go away like news reports about social media and PRISM spying?
      What if government in China has social media questions?
      UK government?
  • Never Happen (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Peter P Peters ( 5350981 ) on Friday June 01, 2018 @12:14AM (#56708736)
    FB know that they are the primary propaganda method for Russia to influence American politics. Posting some aggressive Alt-right ads while also posting some pro SJW/BLM message is genius. The Russian continue to divide Americans for their own gain and FB gets rich while America and it's western Allies lose.
    And we all sit by and let it happen...
    • by AHuxley ( 892839 )
      So people all over the USA who comment on domestic politics are really Russian accounts?
      Now Russia invites US social media to Russia to make US social media look bad as part of a cover story?
      So Russian accounts can use US social media again next election?

      Only Russian anthropologists and computer experts have the skills to post on US social media?
      Considering how many people in the USA use social media everyday, Russian university system must graduate many top US experts every year.
      So smart they pass as
      • So people all over the USA who comment on domestic politics are really Russian accounts?

        Nope. Interference doesn't have to be complete and total, most propaganda techniques involve a slow drip feed over time. When you're in for the long game, a 1% swing in opinion is enough to make a difference (for example the 2016 election was decided by less than 100000 votes ( 0.1%), the 2000 election was less than 1000 votes). Manipulation is thing, and the Internet is the perfect tool for allowing foreign powers to interfere in domestic politics, so it would be foolish to just pretend it isn't possible.

    • by Nidi62 ( 1525137 )

      FB know that they are the primary propaganda method for Russia to influence American politics. Posting some aggressive Alt-right ads while also posting some pro SJW/BLM message is genius. The Russian continue to divide Americans for their own gain and FB gets rich while America and it's western Allies lose. And we all sit by and let it happen...

      If Russia wants to blow up the US even more than they already have, a good troll would be to give Zuckerberg the current equivalent of "Hero of the Soviet Union" for furthering Russia's goals in the 2016 election. They're already going to lose Facebook as an influence vector-with the changes Facebook is doing it will be nowhere near as effective at best-so might as well get out of it what they can. The furor in the media(both mainstream and alt-right) alone would be worth it for Russia, and it might even

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion
        • by Nidi62 ( 1525137 )

          It's hard to think of any way in which Facebook being damaged would hurt the US economy...

          Just the sheer size of it and it's market valuation. Any time a company of that size loses value it creates a ripple effect.

          • Comment removed based on user account deletion
          • It's hard to think of any way in which Facebook being damaged would hurt the US economy...

            Just the sheer size of it and it's market valuation. Any time a company of that size loses value it creates a ripple effect.

            So we shouldn't prosecute drug dealers for the same reasons? I'm being deliberately obtuse here because one of my pet hates is how big business gets away with a lot because of fear of economic impact but the same rules don't apply to the narcotics trade. Consistency would be good.

      • If Russia wants to blow up the US even more than they already have, a good troll would be to give Zuckerberg the current equivalent of "Hero of the Soviet Union" for furthering Russia's goals in the 2016 election.

        I'm not sure how you think that would work. Espionage is a lot more subtle and smarter than that.

    • Well I for one am strengthening America. I don't use Facebook. Propaganda that Russian, or Republicans, or Democrats, or...

  • I go for the bank accounts.
    • I think they want his balls. Either in the meaning of being bold and getting away with it, or in the meaning "get him by the balls". Probably both.
  • by Anonymous Coward

    Why would Markdroid Zuckerberg testify before the UK? The EU I understand since it is an important entity. Russia I understand as well since they are also big and important. UK however? It's a little shithole that's becoming smaller with each decade, run by retards for retards. A shithole full of incresing acid attacks, underage sex slave grooming gangs, porn blocks while broadcasting shit like Naked Attraction, a shithole where pirating a song nets you more years in prison than raping a child. It's an irre

  • They just want to thank him in person for providing a propaganda platform during the election.
    • by Anonymous Coward

      While the UK wants to thank him in person for providing a spy platform for their Orwellian shittery, an addiction that came after seeing how China does it and taking a lick at that surveillance dick that made them grow a taste for it.
      The USA also wants to thank him for providing a platform to screen illegal immigrants who are so dumbfuck that they reveal themselves on Facebook in bouts of stupidity, or accidental emotional bouts after being baited into revealing themselves. Most often reported by legal migr

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Russia doesn't have rule of law. They are run by a fucking mob, and the mob pick the judges. They kill whoever speaks ills of them.

    Of course, the slashdot neckbeards love them because they somehow think that allies with their dumbass conservatism/libertarianism. You're just traitors. Some republicans aren't complicit - Mueller for example. The rest? Scum actively working against US interests.

    He's coming for Moscow Donnie, don't worry about that. Bigly fucking so.

    Dickheads.

  • Inviting Zuckerberg to bore him with toothless pointless questions and then have a selfie with him. The EU crew were a bunch of undereducated sissies and whimps, no better than US congress. They should've grilled him and put him on the spot with regards to privacy.

    Bottom line: I am very disappoint with my legislators right now. That the russians want to have a big nothing-sandwich with his highness Grandmaster of Zuck is just as fitting.

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