US Senator John Kennedy under Fire for "Swahili" Reference at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Senate Hearing [VIDEO]

US Senator John Kennedy under Fire for "Swahili" Reference at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Senate Hearing [VIDEO]

A US senator has come under criticism for his ‘Swahili’ reference at a Tuesday Senate hearing with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, was questioning Zuckerberg on Facebook’s user agreement, which he said is too complicated and meant to legally protect Facebook and not to inform users of their rights.

He asked Zuckerberg to request the company lawyers to write a user agreement that is not in Swahili - that can be understood by everyone.

“I am going to suggest to you that you go back home and you rewrite it and tell your $1,200-an hour lawyers, no disrespect, they're good, but tell them that you want it written in English and non-Swahili, so the average American can understand it. That would be a start,” Senator Kennedy told Zuckerberg.

Social media users have criticized the senator for the “Swahili” reference, calling it a racial slur.

Here is the video of the senator:

Here are some comments:

Questioned by CNN's Erin Burnett later on whether he should apologize for the reference following the outrage it caused, Sen. Kennedy said “there is nothing to apologize for. I think everyone understood the point I’m trying to make.”

Zuckerberg appeared before the Senate to answer to recent discoveries that Facebook allowed the harvesting of the data of 87 million Facebook users to third parties without the user’s knowledge.

Comments

One day at a tyme (not verified)     Tue, 04/10/2018 @ 09:38pm

Back in the day we used to refer to those like this senator as "clever fools". People who just throw mere words thinking they are impressing others but completely miss the fact that thry are only opening selves to redicule.

JustMe (not verified)     Wed, 04/11/2018 @ 12:45am

Senator, are you implying that we, East Africans, are exempt when it comes to the bleach? Do you mean to say we should have understood what we were signing up for and hence we were not violated like everyone else.... simply because we understand Swahili?

Karing'a (not verified)     Wed, 04/11/2018 @ 05:30pm

Some of you criticize the senator but are totally anti Gikuyu/Mt.Kenyan people back home.Anza na wewe bwana.Who told you a Gikuyu is not a Kenyan?They go to the extentof killing the Gikuyu after being ordered and paid by their gods.

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