Mark Zuckerberg promises Cory Booker to protect Black Lives Matter from improper surveillance

Herb Jackson
NorthJersey

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday to prevent improper police surveillance of groups such as Black Lives Matter and to work to ensure the social media platform's targeting tools are not used to redline ads for real estate and credit. 

Sen. Cory Booker, left, with Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, in a 2010 file photo.

Using the five minutes allotted during a marathon hearing two Senate committees had with Zuckerberg about personal data privacy, Booker raised what he called "disturbing" reports that law enforcement groups had used Facebook to monitor African American organizations such as Black Lives Matter.

"I know you've expressed support for the group," Booker said. "But there are a lot of communities of color worried that data can be used to surveil groups like Black Lives Matter, like folks who are trying to organize against substantive issues of discrimination in this country."

Booker asked if Zuckerberg would commit to "ensuring that the freedoms of civil rights activists and others are not targeted, or their work [is] not being undermined."

"Yes, senator, I think that’s very important," Zuckerberg responded. "We’re committed to that. And in general, unless law enforcement has a very clear subpoena, or ability, or reason to get access to information, we’re going to push back on that across the board."

Booker, D-Newark, grew up in the upscale Bergen County suburb of Harrington Park after a fair housing lawyer helped his parents break the race barrier. He also asked Zuckerberg about reports that companies selling real estate and access to credit on Facebook could prevent the ads from being shown to minorities.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation regarding the company's use and protection of user data in Washington.

Federal law prohibits redlining ads for such services, and Booker said that while Facebook promised to address the issue, there are concerns it did not do so effectively and the issue was not given the priority it deserved.

"Would you be open to opening your platform for civil rights organizations to really audit a lot of these companies dealing in areas of credit [and] housing, to really audit what is actually happening and have better transparency?" Booker asked.

"Senator, I think that’s a very good idea," Zuckerberg replied. 

Booker and Zuckerberg have a history of working together. In an announcement made on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2010, Zuckerberg donated $100 million to reform the Newark city school system when Booker was mayor.