Mark Zuckerberg vs the Government - VERDICT

I believe Mr Zuckerberg made the right call to volunteer for a hearing in front of Congress. Saw the hearing yesterday and watching it today. The members of the committees grilled him about issues pertaining to data privacy and psychological profiling, especially with respect to the Cambridge Analytica debacle. His responses clearly show he is a smart man who never once admitted that he, himself was involved in any of the burgeoning list of decisions taken at Facebook which violated the privacy of millions. That he wasn't aware of the actions of third-party developers within or outside the United States.

He was also smart enough to say that Facebook is not against regulating the social media industry, which, ameliorates the whole situation for his company in the eyes of the government itching to slap hefty fines on Facebook.

He skillfully points out the good that has come from Facebook and tactfully, or perhaps, strategically states how vengeful entities or how organizations around the globe, which can include governments such as of Russia or terrorist cells in the middle east, can use this data to their advantage against the US, thereby, placing Facebook as a completely American company and not some alien entity out to breach privacy of Americans.

He also names Pakistan, India, and Brazil and their upcoming respective elections, and how his people are working with these countries to ensure Facebook is not in any way used by any party to interfere in these elections, and that no one would be able to influence Facebook to meddle in the elections.

Zuckerberg is playing his cards right and will come out of this with his company intact, except perhaps with critical regulations which will give more control to the US government about the billions who use Facebook, including their demographic data and psychological profiles.