EU parliament to broadcast Zuckerberg hearing

[May 21, 2018]  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A European Parliament meeting on Tuesday with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be broadcast live, parliamentary officials and the company said on Monday after controversy over plans for a closed-door hearing.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg listens while testifying before a joint Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees hearing regarding the company’s use and protection of user data, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 10, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

Parliament President Antonio Tajani, who was criticized by legislators and some senior EU officials over arrangements for the discussion on public privacy concerns, tweeted that it was "great news" that Zuckerberg had agreed to a live web stream.

A Facebook spokeswoman said: "We’re looking forward to the meeting and happy for it to be live streamed."

Zuckerberg, who founded the U.S. social media giant, will be in Europe to defend the company after scandal over its sale of personal data to a British political consultancy which worked on U.S. President Donald Trump's election campaign, among others.

He will meet Tajani and leaders of parties in the European Parliament in Brussels from 6:15 p.m. (12.15 p.m. ET/1615 GMT) on Tuesday.

He is also due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)

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