Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify before Congress next week on the social media site's privacy policies in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, the House Energy and Commerce Committee said Wednesday.
It's the first confirmed appearance before Congress for Facebook's top executive and follows reports from last week that he was preparing to testify.
"This hearing will be an important opportunity to shed light on critical consumer data privacy issues and help all Americans better understand what happens to their personal information online," Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and ranking Democrat Frank Pallone of New Jersey said in a statement. "We appreciate Mr. Zuckerberg's willingness to testify before the committee, and we look forward to him answering our questions on April 11th."
Facebook is facing questions from lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic following reports that political research firm Cambridge Analytica improperly gained access to the private information of more than 50 million Facebook users.
Zuckerberg has also been invited to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Facebook has previously declined to comment on whether Zuckerberg would accept those invitations.
The CEO declined to testify before U.K. lawmakers last week, sending a top deputy to answer questions instead.
Zuckerberg has said he's "open" to testifying on the Cambridge Analytica leak if he were the right person to answer questions. Members of Congress have now repeatedly told him they believe he is the right person.
A company spokesperson said conversations with other congressional committees are ongoing.