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| Trick-or-treats and burger tweets: what tech CEOs did instead of testifying in DC | Trick-or-treats and burger tweets: what tech CEOs did instead of testifying in DC |
| (25 days later) | |
| When a United Airlines passenger was violently dragged off a flight, the company’s chief executive, Oscar Munoz, showed up at a congressional hearing to be cross-examined. | When a United Airlines passenger was violently dragged off a flight, the company’s chief executive, Oscar Munoz, showed up at a congressional hearing to be cross-examined. |
| When Equifax exposed the personal information of at least 145.5m people, the company’s by-then-former chief executive went to Washington DC to be grilled by congressional representatives. | When Equifax exposed the personal information of at least 145.5m people, the company’s by-then-former chief executive went to Washington DC to be grilled by congressional representatives. |
| The story of Donald Trump and Russia comes down to this: a sitting president or his campaign is suspected of having coordinated with a foreign country to manipulate a US election. The story could not be bigger, and the stakes for Trump – and the country – could not be higher. | The story of Donald Trump and Russia comes down to this: a sitting president or his campaign is suspected of having coordinated with a foreign country to manipulate a US election. The story could not be bigger, and the stakes for Trump – and the country – could not be higher. |
| Investigators are asking two basic questions: did Trump’s presidential campaign collude at any level with Russian operatives to sway the 2016 US presidential election? And did Trump or others break the law to throw investigators off the trail? | Investigators are asking two basic questions: did Trump’s presidential campaign collude at any level with Russian operatives to sway the 2016 US presidential election? And did Trump or others break the law to throw investigators off the trail? |
| While a majority of the American public now believes that Russia tried to disrupt the US election, opinions about Trump campaign involvement tend to split along partisan lines: 73% of Republicans, but only 13% of Democrats, believe Trump did “nothing wrong” in his dealings with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. | While a majority of the American public now believes that Russia tried to disrupt the US election, opinions about Trump campaign involvement tend to split along partisan lines: 73% of Republicans, but only 13% of Democrats, believe Trump did “nothing wrong” in his dealings with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. |
| The affair has the potential to eject Trump from office. Experienced legal observers believe that prosecutors are investigating whether Trump committed an obstruction of justice. Both Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton – the only presidents to face impeachment proceedings in the last century – were accused of obstruction of justice. But Trump’s fate is probably up to the voters. Even if strong evidence of wrongdoing by him or his cohort emerged, a Republican congressional majority would probably block any action to remove him from office. (Such an action would be a historical rarity.) | The affair has the potential to eject Trump from office. Experienced legal observers believe that prosecutors are investigating whether Trump committed an obstruction of justice. Both Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton – the only presidents to face impeachment proceedings in the last century – were accused of obstruction of justice. But Trump’s fate is probably up to the voters. Even if strong evidence of wrongdoing by him or his cohort emerged, a Republican congressional majority would probably block any action to remove him from office. (Such an action would be a historical rarity.) |
| Former foreign policy adviser George Papadopolous pleaded guilty to perjury over his contacts with Russians linked to the Kremlin, and the president’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide face charges of money laundering. | Former foreign policy adviser George Papadopolous pleaded guilty to perjury over his contacts with Russians linked to the Kremlin, and the president’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide face charges of money laundering. |
| The investigations have an open timeline. | The investigations have an open timeline. |
| And when Wall Street’s too-big-to-fail banks crashed the global economy, the CEOs of eight major banks flew commercial flights or took the train to face the music in the US House of Representatives. | And when Wall Street’s too-big-to-fail banks crashed the global economy, the CEOs of eight major banks flew commercial flights or took the train to face the music in the US House of Representatives. |
| And yet when Facebook, Google, and Twitter were called to the capital to answer for their companies’ role in the hijacking of democracy itself this week, none of their CEOs showed up. | And yet when Facebook, Google, and Twitter were called to the capital to answer for their companies’ role in the hijacking of democracy itself this week, none of their CEOs showed up. |
| Instead, all three companies sent their lawyers, a slight that did not go unnoticed by the interrogators themselves. | Instead, all three companies sent their lawyers, a slight that did not go unnoticed by the interrogators themselves. |
| “I’m disappointed that you’re here and not your CEOs because we’re talking about policy and the policies of the companies,” Maine senator Angus King said to Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch, Google general counsel Kent Walker, and Twitter acting general counsel Sean Edgett on Wednesday. “If we go through this exercise again, we would appreciate seeing the top people who are actually making the decisions.” | “I’m disappointed that you’re here and not your CEOs because we’re talking about policy and the policies of the companies,” Maine senator Angus King said to Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch, Google general counsel Kent Walker, and Twitter acting general counsel Sean Edgett on Wednesday. “If we go through this exercise again, we would appreciate seeing the top people who are actually making the decisions.” |
| “I wish that your CEOs would be here,” added West Virginia senator Joe Manchin, another member of the Senate intelligence committee, one of three congressional committees to host hearings. “They need to answer for this.” | “I wish that your CEOs would be here,” added West Virginia senator Joe Manchin, another member of the Senate intelligence committee, one of three congressional committees to host hearings. “They need to answer for this.” |
| So where, precisely, were Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey on Tuesday and Wednesday? And what were they doing that was more important than answering questions from the elected representatives of the American people? | So where, precisely, were Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey on Tuesday and Wednesday? And what were they doing that was more important than answering questions from the elected representatives of the American people? |
| On Saturday night, Pichai tweeted that he would “drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday” one question that appeared to be a priority for the CEO: the positioning of the cheese in Google’s hamburger emoji. | On Saturday night, Pichai tweeted that he would “drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday” one question that appeared to be a priority for the CEO: the positioning of the cheese in Google’s hamburger emoji. |
| Will drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday:) if folks can agree on the correct way to do this! https://t.co/dXRuZnX1Ag | Will drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday:) if folks can agree on the correct way to do this! https://t.co/dXRuZnX1Ag |
| While the tweet was obviously a joke, Google declined to state what Pichar was actually doing on Tuesday and Wednesday, or why he chose not to speak for the company at the hearings. | While the tweet was obviously a joke, Google declined to state what Pichar was actually doing on Tuesday and Wednesday, or why he chose not to speak for the company at the hearings. |
| Google spokeswoman Andrea Faville said by email that Walker, the company’s general counsel, and representative before Congress this week, had responsibilities that are “broader than leading our legal team, he also oversees our public policy and trust & safety team (which oversees all our policy enforcement)”. | Google spokeswoman Andrea Faville said by email that Walker, the company’s general counsel, and representative before Congress this week, had responsibilities that are “broader than leading our legal team, he also oversees our public policy and trust & safety team (which oversees all our policy enforcement)”. |
| Twitter also declined to comment on the whereabouts of its own CEO, though Dorsey tweeted links to the company’s written testimony and a live stream of the first hearing on Tuesday. | Twitter also declined to comment on the whereabouts of its own CEO, though Dorsey tweeted links to the company’s written testimony and a live stream of the first hearing on Tuesday. |
| On Monday, however, Dorsey appears to have been in New York City, where he attended an event for the other company he leads, Square. New York is about 226 miles from Washington DC. | On Monday, however, Dorsey appears to have been in New York City, where he attended an event for the other company he leads, Square. New York is about 226 miles from Washington DC. |
| Facebook has faced the most scrutiny for its role in the Russian influence operation, and in September, Zuckerberg expressed regret at his previously “dismissive” comments about the company’s role in disseminating fake news during the election season. | Facebook has faced the most scrutiny for its role in the Russian influence operation, and in September, Zuckerberg expressed regret at his previously “dismissive” comments about the company’s role in disseminating fake news during the election season. |
| Some reports suggested that Zuckerberg missed the congressional hearings due to his trip to Beijing, where he met with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, on Monday. | Some reports suggested that Zuckerberg missed the congressional hearings due to his trip to Beijing, where he met with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, on Monday. |
| But the company confirmed that Zuckerberg was back in the United States by Tuesday. The technology billionaire posted an image of himself on Facebook dressed as a monster. The caption said he took his children out trick-or-treating. | But the company confirmed that Zuckerberg was back in the United States by Tuesday. The technology billionaire posted an image of himself on Facebook dressed as a monster. The caption said he took his children out trick-or-treating. |
| “Each company sent their general counsel to the hearing,” Facebook spokesman Tom Reynold’s said by email. “That made sense for Facebook since Colin’s team oversaw the internal review into this issue and the information security team reports to him as well.” | “Each company sent their general counsel to the hearing,” Facebook spokesman Tom Reynold’s said by email. “That made sense for Facebook since Colin’s team oversaw the internal review into this issue and the information security team reports to him as well.” |
| Zuckerberg will find time to take questions from one constituency on Wednesday – the company’s investors. The CEO is expected to join chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and chief financial officer David Wehner on the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday afternoon. | Zuckerberg will find time to take questions from one constituency on Wednesday – the company’s investors. The CEO is expected to join chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and chief financial officer David Wehner on the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday afternoon. |
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