Facebook’s Zuckerberg, Sandberg will not appear at Ottawa hearing despite summons

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg will not appear at a hearing in Ottawa later this week despite receiving summonses from Canadian Parliament, Facebook confirmed to Global News on Monday.

The company is sending its head of public policy for Facebook Canada, Kevin Chan, and its director of public policy, Neil Potts, in their place.

Earlier in May, MP Bob Zimmer, chair of the Ethics Committee, issued a summons to Zuckerberg and Sandberg to appear before the International Grand Committee of Parliamentarians being held in Ottawa on May 28, 2019.

“We share the Committee’s desire to keep people safe and to hold companies like ours accountable. We look forward to answering their questions and remain committed to working with world leaders, governments, and industry experts to address these complex issues,” a Facebook spokesperson said in an email to Global News.

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Representatives from at least 10 countries are set to attend Tuesday’s parliamentary hearing, including the United Kingdom and Australia, CNN reports.

More to come.