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France's Macron takes on Facebook's Zuckerberg in tech push

Posted May 23, 2018 7:00 am

The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg may finally find a friendly face when he meets French President Emmanuel Macron.

Macron is courting Zuckerberg and some 50 other tech bosses at a conference Wednesday aimed at persuading them to use their unprecedented global influence for the public good. That means things like fighting hate speech and investing in tech literacy for the masses.

The meeting comes after Zuckerberg faced tough questions Tuesday from European Union lawmakers. He apologized for the way the social network has been used to produce fake news and interfere in elections.

Facebook and other companies are also facing stringent new EU regulation this week on how they can use personal data.

Macron has supported efforts to regulate online giants, but champions innovation and sees himself as an ally of the tech world.

An Avaaz demonstrator waves the European flag as he stands next to life-sized Zuckerberg cutouts to protest against fake Facebook accounts spreading disinformation on the platform, near the EU Commission in Brussels, Tuesday, May 22, 2018. European Union lawmakers plan to press Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday about data protection standards at the internet giant at a hearing focused on a scandal over the alleged misuse of the personal information of millions of people. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) The Associated Press

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