Awkwardness ensues as top Democratic senator asks Mark Zuckerberg if he'll reveal what hotel he stayed at last night
- Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois probed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on his personal activities, like which hotel he stayed in while in Washington.
- Zuckerberg was hesitant to answer, which Durbin used to make a broader point about data privacy.
WASHINGTON - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg got into an awkward exchange with a top Democratic senator on Tuesday when the lawmaker began probing him about his own personal privacy.
During the blockbuster hearing on Capitol Hill, Sen. Dick Durbin asked Zuckerberg, "Would you be comfortable sharing with us the name of the hotel you stayed in last night?"
"Um," Zuckerberg said before a long pause. "No."
The audience and panel of senators erupted in laughter at Zuckerberg's hesitancy to answer questions about his personal activities. But Durbin used the situation to make a point about personal privacy, which was the focus of the joint hearing between the Senate's Judiciary and Commerce committees.
"If you messaged anybody this week, would you share with us the names of the people you've messaged?" Durbin asked.
"Senator, no, I would probably not choose to do that publicly here," Zuckerberg responded.
"I think that might be what this is all about," Durbin told Zuckerberg. "Your right to privacy, the limits of your right to privacy, and how much you'd give away in modern America."