Facebook No Show at Hearing

A senator chastised the social-networking service Facebook on Tuesday for refusing to attend his subcommittee hearing on global Internet freedom, while simultaneously seeking the government's help in resolving Internet blockages overseas.

Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Judiciary Committee's Human Rights and the Law Subcommittee, said that in a letter declining to testify, Facebook wrote that the company has no business operations in China or most of the other countries in the world. Durbin pointed out that Facebook has more than 400 million users, about 70 percent of which are outside the United States. Facebook also has not joined the Global Network Initiative, a coalition of technology companies committed to resisting censorship.

Despite its reluctance to participate in the hearing or GNI, Facebook recently asked the State Department for assistance when its services were blocked in Vietnam, Durbin said. Michael Posner, assistant secretary of State for democracy, human rights and labor, who testified at the hearing, responded, "It's fair to say that companies like Facebook and Twitter are certainly susceptible to the pressures that we've seen others face."

Durbin then observed, "If Facebook expects our government to help in resolving efforts to censor their services, it only seems reasonable that they accept some responsibility themselves for addressing human rights issues."

After the hearing, Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes (and a former writer for Nextgov and Government Executive) said that, while Facebook has a large user base, its global operations are still small.

"When we come to evaluate doing business in any country, we do so thoughtfully and are mindful of the rules, regulations, and customs," he added. "As Facebook grows, we'll absolutely be considering which groups we can actively participate in."

Noyes said the company welcomes a continuing dialogue with Durbin.