Ottawa (AFP)

An international parliamentary commission questioning Canada's largest technology companies about their policies for collecting and using personal data criticized Tuesday the absence of Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg, who did not respond to his invitation.

The international commission, including delegations from the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, Morocco, Chile and Mexico, interviewed representatives of Facebook, Twitter and Google in Ottawa on Tuesday and signed a joint statement on the issue. after the first day of testimony.

Like the Facebook CEO's appearance in front of US parliamentarians a year ago, Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, director of social network operations, had been summoned to testify before the commission, but failed to appear before the committee. Canadian Parliament.

"With this refusal to appear before us to testify personally, Mark Zuckerberg's public statements about his collaboration with legislators sound even more untrue," said Bob Zimmer, a Canadian Conservative MP.

Following the absence of the two leaders of Facebook, the commission adopted a motion to summon them as soon as one of them would go to Canada, according to the statement.

"Mark Zuckerberg's stubborn refusal to appear before the Commission shows that he does not want to be held responsible for his company's record in this area, and that he is not even ready to discuss openly the rules and regulations. that sector needs, "said Damian Collins, British Conservative MP.

In the absence of Mr. Zuckerberg, Facebook was represented before the commission by two other officials, Kevin Chan and Neil Potts, who were bombarded with questions.

At the end of April, the Canadian Office of the Privacy Commissioner had pinned Facebook for alleged serious privacy breaches and the social network's refusal to act to protect the personal information of its users.

The statement signed by the commission is "the first step towards reaffirming the internet as an open and democratic space for citizens, and towards an economy that does not just work for larger companies," said Charlie Angus. , Canadian Social Democrat.

"We will go ahead, with or without the participation of Mark Zuckerberg," he said.

On Wednesday, the commission will gather testimony from Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Mozilla Corporation.

? 2019 AFP