Aufgrund der weitreichenden Dimension des Datenmissbrauch-Skandals von Facebook und Cambridge Analytica musste sich Mark Zuckerberg am 22.05.2018 einer Anhörung im Europäischen Parlament stellen. Der konservative Parlamentspräsident Antonio Tajani bildete eine fragwürdige Allianz mit den Rechtsfraktionen, um diese Anhörung nicht durch den zuständigen Innenausschusses abhalten zu lassen, sondern nutzte die Konferenz der Präsidenten um Mark Zuckerberg vor kritischen Fragen zu schützen. Diese Vorgangsweise ist für uns inakzeptabel und daher fordern die europäischen SozialdemokratInnen eine Weiterverfolgung des Falles. Unser Vorsitzender Udo Bullmann hat sich mit einem offenen Brief an Tajani gewandt:
Dear President Tajani,
Following the exchange of views on 22 May 2018 with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, please allow me to come back to this highly significant event for our European citizens as well as for the European institution, we are both representing.
By now, you would have probably become familiar with the strong concerns my Group has voiced already during the preparatory phase of May 22 exchange of views. Our most important goal was and continues to be, that of safeguarding the dignity of the European Parliament, while fully taking into account the public perception as well as the European citizens’ rights to be informed.
However, to our greatest disappointment, what we have witnessed on the occasion of May 22 was the contrary of what we have previously agreed. The format that you, President Tajani, chose to change at the very last minute, with the support of the right-wing majority, did not allow any checks-and-balance mechanisms to be applied, to the detriment of the openness and transparency, benefitting the European citizens. Moreover, the particular choice of members attending and intervening in the meeting, apart from the leaders of the political groups and our LIBE-related members, contributed to perpetuating a procedure that did not place the European Parliament’s interests at the centre. The S&D Group strongly contests such an approach that lead to the rapporteur on ePrivacy, an equally relevant dossier to the ongoing debate, MEP Birgit Sippel, be refused access to the meeting.
Against this background, I would like to kindly request that at the next meeting of the Conference of Presidents foreseen for May II plenary session, a follow-up exchange of views will be foreseen, aiming at: conducting a proper assessment of our recent meeting with Facebook CEO Zuckerberg; agreeing on the procedure applicable to the written questions to be addressed to Facebook and, finally, discussing about the next steps for the in-depth LIBE public hearing. In this respect, on behalf of the S&D group and in the spirit of clarity, openness and transparency, I would like to request a further reflection on how to ensure the best format of the LIBE in-depth public hearing.
I look forward to receiving your answer.
Kind regards,
Udo Bullmann
S & D Group President