Mark Zuckerberg prepares to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Facebook is shaking up its Washington office and replacing its top United States policy staffer with a former Republican Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, it said Tuesday night.
Why it matters: It comes after the company was hit hard in Washington over online Russian election interference and the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Along with the forthcoming privacy regulations in Europe, the scandal has created a privacy reckoning for the social giant.
The details: Former Republican FCC chair Kevin Martin, who has worked at Facebook for years, will become interim Vice President of U.S. Public Policy — even as many predict Democrats could take one or both chambers of Congress.
- He replaces Erin Egan, who will continue to serve as the company's Chief Privacy Officer. She has served in both roles for years.