Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be in Washington to meet lawmakers in a bid to try and win over critics this week. The 34-year-old billionaire will visit US legislators in a series of dinners and meeting throughout the week.
Zuckerberg on a visit to Washington
In recent times Facebook has faced strong regulatory and political scrutiny on various issues ranging from data privacy to antitrust and content moderation. Most recently the company has been in the spotlight regarding its controversial digital currency project Libra.
This is the first visit Zuckerberg is making to DC since April 2018 when he was grilled over the impact of Facebook in the 2016 presidential elections and other issues in several high-profile hearings. However, unlike last year, the CEO will not be appearing publicly but will instead have private meetings as he tries to enhance Facebook’s standing politically.
Axios reported the visit first but the company and several lawmakers’ offices have since corroborated the information. A spokesperson said in a statement that the CEO will be in DC to meet legislators and discuss the future of internet regulation. He, however, indicated that there are no public events scheduled.
Senator Mark Warner hosts Zuckerberg in a dinner
Some of Zuckerberg’s visits have been revealed even though a public schedule of the visit isn’t available. The CEO attended a dinner hosted by Senator Marks Warner of Virginia. Warner has been a vocal critic of Facebook in the past. A spokesperson of Warner said that the senator arranged the dinner meeting in Washington at Facebook’s request.
Warner was vocal on Facebook’s involvement in the 2016 elections. He led a congressional probe into the Russian linked attempts to use Facebook to misinform Americans and disrupt elections. Senator Warner introduced legislation requiring Facebook to identify users and groups purchasing political ads on the site.
Zuckerberg has also met Senate Commerce Committee member Senator Maria Cantwell. Other meetings include one with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff and Senate Judiciary Antitrust Committee Chairman Senator Mike Lee.
