Read Mark Zuckerberg's prepared testimony ahead of Facebook’s congressional hearing

Mark Zuckerberg has a lot to answer for.
 By 
Karissa Bell
 on 
Read Mark Zuckerberg's prepared testimony ahead of Facebook’s congressional hearing
Mark Zuckerberg is heading to Congress. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Mark Zuckerberg has a lot to answer for.

Following weeks of mounting criticism, Zuckerberg is heading to Washington D.C. to answer questions from key members of Congress on data privacy issues in the wake of Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Now, we know exactly what he plans to say. On Monday, the Energy and Commerce Committee published Mark Zuckerberg's prepared remarks, ahead of his appearance before the committee on Wednesday.

"Facebook is an idealistic and optimistic company. For most of our existence, we focused on all the good that connecting people can bring," Zuckerberg says in the written testimony. "But it’s clear now that we didn’t do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well."

If you've been closely watching the company, or Zuckerberg's recent apology tour, then much of the 2,800-word statement won't be all that surprising. The CEO recounts the various investigations and updates Facebook had undertaken in recent weeks, following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

And Zuckerberg does his best to convey that, you know, he's taking the whole thing really seriously. "My top priority has always been our social mission of connecting people, building community and bringing the world closer together. Advertisers and developers will never take priority over that as long as I’m running Facebook."

You can read the full version his prepared remarks below.

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Karissa Bell

Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.

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