Facebook may consider charging users a fee

Name: Zuckerberg - 'It was my mistake and I'm sorry'
Uploaded: 2018-04-11T08:52:42+12:00
Duration: 131 s
Description: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is undergoing a two-day congressional inquisition that will be very public — and possibly pivotal for the massive social networking company he created.

NZ Herald

10 Apr, 2018 09:58 PM2 mins to read

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is undergoing a two-day congressional inquisition that will be very public — and possibly pivotal for the massive social networking company he created.

Facebook has opened the door to potentially charging users to not receive advertisements based on what they have shared with friends on the social media platform.

Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the contentious strategy to possibly make Facebook users pay for their privacy at today's Capitol Hill appearance, as he revealed his biggest regret was not acting sooner to stop Russia using his platform to try to influence foreign elections.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was asked about the contentious plan to make Facebook users pay for their privacy at today's Capitol Hill appearance.

Senator Bill Nelson asked how Facebook users who did not wish to see targeted ads, such as their favourite type of chocolate, could stop the product placements from flooding their feed.

"Are you actually considering having Facebook users pay for you to not use that information?" Nelson asked.

"Yo not run ads at all we would need some kind of business model," Zuckerberg said.

"I am going to have to pay you not to send me, using my personal information, something that I don't want?" Nelson said.

"Yes, Senator," Zuckerberg replied.

"You consider my personally identifiable data the company's data and not my data, is that it?" the senator asked, to which Zuckerberg answered no.

Zuckerberg said that ad-free product did not yet exist, and the only way for Facebook to remain a viable business was to run advertisements or charge for use of the site. It's a step back from his previous pledge that the platform would always be free.

"There will always be a version of Facebook that is free," he said.

Zuckerberg's comments follow media appearances by Facebook chief operations officer Sheryl Sandberg, who said Facebook could look into a model that allowed some users to pay for not seeing ads.

Zuckerberg did, however, add during the meeting that there will always be a free version of Facebook available to users as this remains the best way to connect people across the world.

Key points from questioning:

- News.com.au