German spy chief says wouldn’t trust Facebook with his data

BERLIN – Germany’s domestic intelligence chief says he wouldn’t trust Facebook with his data.

Hans-Georg Maassen said he was “astonished how many people were surprised” by the privacy scandal surrounding Facebook users’ personal information.

Speaking Wednesday on the sidelines of a corporate security conference in Berlin, Maassen said he doesn’t have a Facebook account.

He told reporters that “as a matter of principle, I only entrust my data to companies that I’d really trust. And I wouldn’t have trusted Facebook with my data, I’ll say that quite openly.”

Asked whether he would like to question Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, as the U.S. Congress is doing this week, Maassen said: “I don’t have any questions for him at the moment.”

Far-right groups have actively used social media ahead of recent German elections.