EU renews call for Zuckerberg to testify over data scandal

BRUSSELS – The European Parliament is repeating a call for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify about the internet giant’s data privacy scandal, after Zuckerberg offered to send a subordinate in his place.

In a letter to Zuckerberg on Wednesday, the EU assembly’s president, Antonio Tajani, said political group leaders “stressed the absolute need of your personal presence.”

Facebook this month acknowledged that up to 2.7 million people in the EU may have had their personal data improperly shared and used by political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica.

Tajani said in the letter, seen by The Associated Press, that Europeans hit by the “scandal deserve a full and thorough explanation from Facebook’s top manager.”

He noted that Facebook’s international headquarters is in Dublin, submitting the company to EU legislation.