Overnight Tech: Lawmakers zero in on Zuckerberg | AT&T, DOJ preview trial arguments | First lady vows to tackle cyberbullying

View in your browser     LAWMAKERS FOCUS ON ZUCKERBERG: Mark Zuckerberg is facing bipartisan pressure to testify before Congress following reports that 50 million Facebook users had their data compromised by Cambridge Analytica, a political research firm tied to the Trump campaign. Zuckerberg has so far remained silent despite calls for answers from lawmakers and regulators on two continents. "Mark, Sheryl and their teams are working around the clock to get all the facts and take the appropriate action moving forward, because they understand the seriousness of this issue," Facebook said in a statement, referring to Zuckerberg and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg "The entire company is outraged we were deceived. We are committed to vigorously enforcing our policies to protect people's information and will take whatever steps are required to see that this happens."   Lawmaker reaction: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.): "Mark Zuckerberg ought to be subpoenaed if he doesn't appear voluntarily, to appear under oath, in public along with other CEOs in the same space and Alexander Nix of Cambridge Analytica and others connected with the company." Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.): "The last time we had a hearing, Facebook and Google and Twitter sent their lawyers, which were undoubtedly expensive, because they did a damn fine job of dodging and bobbing and weaving. They didn't say a damn thing, which is what they were paid to do. This time, I hope the principles come and there will be a discussion." Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.): "I think testimony in front of the Commerce Committee would be appropriate and required. I think there's a lot of questions left to be answered." Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.): "We had the general counsel come in. That was quite some time ago. We've learned more about the Russian interference since then. Vis-a-vis Cambridge Analytica, I think that we should have Facebook come back and I would hope that majority would join us in making that request."   More... Zuckerberg's former advisor, Roger McNamee, is calling for Congress to subpoena the Facebook CEO. In a USA Today op-ed that he wrote with Norm Eisen and Fred Wertheimer, McNamee writes: "Congress must require testimony under oath from Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, CEO Larry Page of Alphabet (Google's parent company), and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. They need to tell the American public what they are doing to prevent bad actors or foreign adversaries from invading their platforms and our future elections."   Compounding Facebook's problems, The New York Times is now reporting that the FTC is launching an investigation into the incident and whether Facebook violated a 2011 consent decree over previous privacy violations.   Facebook is trying to head off lawmaker frustrations before formal hearings though: Facebook told The Hill that it will meet with staff from the House and Senate Intelligence committees, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Senate Commerce Committee, and the House and Senate Judiciary committees this week to discuss its dealings with Cambridge Analytica.   Confused about what data Cambridge Analytica obtained?: In a tweet thread, social media researcher Jonathan Albright breaks down what the company had access to and the timeline of when Facebook rolled back those features. Albright also gives lawmakers advice on what they should Facebook for answers on.     Please send your tips, comments and over/unders on how much snow D.C. will get to Ali Breland (abreland@thehill.com) and Harper Neidig (hneidig@thehill.com) and follow us on Twitter: @alibreland and @hneidig. We're also on Signal and WhatsApp. Email or DM us for our numbers.   BRITISH LAWMAKERS WANT ZUCKERBERG TOO: A British lawmaker on Tuesday called on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to appear before parliament to respond to reports that Cambridge Analytica, the data firm used by the Trump campaign, harvested data from millions of people without their permission. Damian Collins, chairman of Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, wrote to Zuckerberg that it's time for a Facebook executive to address concerns over users' data security, The Independent reported. "Given your commitment at the start of the New Year to 'fixing' Facebook, I hope that this representative will be you," he wrote, echoing his American lawmaker contemporaries.   FACEBOOK STOCK CONTINUES SLIDE: Facebook's stock price fell deeper Tuesday after reports of expanding U.S. and U.K. probes into its role in the unauthorized use of personal information by a Trump-connected data firm. Shares of Facebook were down 5.7 percent by Tuesday afternoon, falling as low as $162, a nearly $10 drop. They closed for the day at $168.15, down $4.41, a 2.56 percent drop. U.S. stocks, on the whole, gained throughout the day, unlike Monday when the tech sector dragged down markets.   AT&T, DOJ CLASH AHEAD OF OPENING ARGUMENTS: Both sides in the trial over the $85 billion AT&T-Time Warner merger gave previews of their cases ahead of opening arguments later this week, Reuters reported. Prosecutors said that the merger will likely lead to price increases for consumers and competitors. The government estimates that customers will end up paying 45 cents more a month, and argues that the combination would hurt innovation in the market. AT&T's lawyer said that any price increase would be "catastrophic" for the company, and that the merger is needed in order to compete with tech companies breaking into the market for video entertainment. Read more here. Note: Opening arguments in the case, originally set for Wednesday, have been postponed until Thursday because of the expected snowstorm.   CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SUSPENDS CEO: The company at the center of the controversy over the Facebook data leak has suspended CEO Alexander Nix after a British media outlet caught him on camera talking about how Cambridge Analytica's repertoire of dirty tricks for its political clients. "I mean deep digging is interesting, but you know equally effective can be just to go and speak to the incumbents and to offer them a deal that's too good to be true and make sure that's video recorded you know," Nix can be heard saying in the undercover video. "These sorts of tactics are very effective." He also said that the company could hurt rival politicians by sending "some girls around to the candidate's house" to put him in a compromising position. Read more here.   FLOTUS'S 'CYBER-SAFETY' MEETING WITH TECH: First lady Melania Trump on Tuesday responded to criticism of her anti-cyberbullying initiative, saying she is undeterred in her efforts to address the issue. "I'm well aware that people are skeptical of me discussing this topic. I have been criticized by many for my commitment to tackling this issue, and I know that will continue," Trump said at the start of a meeting with tech leaders. "But it will not stop me from doing what I know is right," she continued. "I'm here with one goal: helping children in our next generation." The first lady met with representatives from technology companies such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, Snap and Twitter.  Read more here.   ON TAP: Reminder: Some events could be cancelled because of snow. The American Cable Association will hold its annual summit featuring Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and others at 7:30 a.m. The House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing on infrastructure and broadband access at 11:00 a.m. George Washington University Law will hold an event with Dem FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn at noon on Tuesday. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will hold a webinar on public-private broadband partnerships at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday.   IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The Intercept: Snowden documents reveal that the NSA attempted to track down Bitcoin users. Though the currency has been lauded (and criticized) for its privacy, each Bitcoin user has an anonymous public address, which, in many cases, can be traced back to its users. The Daily Beast: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg didn't show up for an all hands on deck meeting at Facebook to discuss the latest public revelations of its dealings with Cambridge Analytica. Op-ed: Mark Zuckerberg's moment of truth Key things to watch as the Cambridge Analytica story develops While all eyes are on the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica breach, Orbitz says that hackers may have taken 880,000 individuals' credit and debit card information.       Join The Hill on Wednesday, March 21, for Leadership in Action: The Hill's Newsmaker Series featuring Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Reps. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), and Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.). RSVP Here         Did a friend forward you this email? 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