“It was my mistake”: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg set to take personal responsibility for data breaches

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg is set to take personal responsibility for data breaches on the social media site when he appears before US politicians on Wednesday.

In the testimony he is due to give to the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, Zuckerberg will say that Facebook “is an idealistic and optimistic company” which made mistakes.

Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where it was found that millions of Facebook users had their data harvested and used to influence elections, Zuckerberg will propose limiting app developers’ access to data and giving users “better controls”.

Read more: Mark Zuckerberg breaks his silence on Cambridge Analytica: “We made mistakes”

With regards to accusations that Russia-linked organisations also used Facebook to help influence the US elections, Zuckerberg will say he is improving security and strengthening advertising policies.

However, he will concede that the site was “too slow to spot and respond to Russian interference”.

“I started Facebook, I run it, and I’m responsible for what happens here,” Zuckerberg will say.

“It was my mistake, and I’m sorry.”

Facebook was set to start notifying users today of whether their information had been used by Cambridge Analytica. Around 87m people are thought to be affected, a small proportion of whom were based in the UK.

Read more: Facebook begins notifying users who had data harvested by Cambridge Analytica