Six Questions for Mark Zuckerberg

At VERB, we’ve been following the Facebook data breach issue very carefully. This week, we watched the Mark Zuckerberg testimony closely, and we’ve got questions. In fact, the more we watch, read, and learn, the more we’d love to ask Zuck. So we’ve put together a list of our top questions for the Facebook founder. Mark, if you’re reading this — CALL US!

1. How is user activity being tracked when a Facebook user isn’t logged in? So far in his testimony, Zuckerberg has been evasive about what online activity is being monitored or tracked, even when a Facebook user is not logged in to the platform. Whether it’s because he doesn’t want to share this information or simply doesn’t know or understand the extent of what’s being tracked and how it’s being used, we’re curious: Just how much of our online activity is being tracked by Facebook? We’ve all seen targeted ads pop up after we’ve been browsing online, but beyond that, how much of what we do online is being observed by the social media network?
2. Brands, news publications and companies have already invested a significant amount of time and money into their Facebook strategies. What can you tell them to restore their confidence in Facebook as a useful channel for marketing and communication? For years, we’ve been consulting our clients on all facets of social media marketing, and Facebook is always high on the list of trusted, relevant social networks worth investing time and money in. But now that Facebook is being seen in a more negative light, brands are feeling skeptical of the platform right now (and for good reason), and we’d like to know what steps will be taken to earn back the trust of brands and businesses who have invested heavily in Facebook strategies and campaigns.
3. Is a paid version of Facebook in the works? On Tuesday, April 10, Zuckerberg made a comment during his testimony that “there will always be a version of Facebook that is free.” Does this imply that a paid, protected version is coming? What will the paid versus the free version look like, and what does this mean for users and brands? Zuckerberg didn’t divulge any of the details, but we’re thinking ahead to a future in which people and companies may be paying to use the social network.
4. What about Facebook’s privacy settings — do you have plans to make them more user-friendly? Zuckerberg maintains Facebook users are sharing their data willingly and that it’s “easy” for a user to manage what information is made public by using the platform’s privacy settings. However, Facebook’s privacy settings have frequently been criticized as being confusing and cumbersome to navigate. We tend to agree that there are some user experience challenges with adjusting Facebook privacy settings. We’d ask Zuckerberg what his thoughts are on the current privacy settings and how he’d make them simpler and more user-friendly going forward.
5. What will Facebook regulations look like around the world? In May, Europe will enact a new privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation, which lets users know that their data is being collected and requires them to consent to the sharing of data. Zuckerberg has said that while similar regulations will be put in place globally, they are not going to have the same format everywhere. We want to know: why not have one consistent set of privacy regulations for users that’s the same no matter where you are on the globe? And what will these regulations look like in other parts of the world?
6. What’s next for Facebook? What changes can we expect to see? No matter how Zuckerberg’s testimony ends up going, it’s unlikely that the social media giant will emerge completely unscathed, and we’re sure that changes are coming to the platform. We’d love a peek into the future of Facebook — what’s going to be different, what’s staying the same, and what does the company’s long-term vision look like now. How has it changed from the plan of six months ago?

What about you — what do you think Congress should have asked Mark Zuckerberg as he delivered his testimony? Do you have any questions about the future of Facebook or the way your data has potentially been collected and used? Let us know!

VERB Interactive is a leader in digital marketing, specializing in solutions for the travel and hospitality industry. Find out more at www.verbinteractive.com.