Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Mr. Kaplan for his contribution. I will begin with my own questions. Mr. Kaplan can make a note of the questions as we go around the members of the committee before returning at various intervals.

I posed a question to the Data Protection Commissioner about this issue earlier. Mr. Kaplan stated that in 2014, Facebook said it was changing its platform to significantly limit the information apps could access based on recommendations from the data commissioner. Those recommendations were made in 2012. Can the witnesses explain why Facebook delayed putting those changes in place for two years?

Mr. Kaplan also stated that in 2015, Facebook learned from The Guardian that Dr. Kogan had shared data from his app with Cambridge Analytica. It sounds as though it very much appreciated that information. This week's edition of The Economist states that Facebook threatened to sue The Guardian if it published the story. That sounds as though Facebook valued its corporate reputation over users' privacy rights. Will the witnesses comment on this?

Is it the case that Facebook only took the matter seriously after The Guardian published its story and the company came under intense public scrutiny?

Mr. Kaplan stated that in 2015, Dr. Kogan shared the data from his app with Cambridge Analytica so Facebook banned his app from its platform and demanded that Dr. Kogan and all entities to which he gave the data, including Cambridge Analytica, confirm they had deleted the data. Did Facebook check or confirm that this had happened? The witnesses say that only last month, Facebook learned that the data may not have been deleted. Can the witnesses confirm that these data were not shared with other parties prior to their deletion, if indeed that occurred?