France’s Macron takes on Facebook’s Zuckerberg in tech push

PARIS — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg may finally find a friendly face when he meets French President Emmanuel Macron.

Macron is courting Zuckerberg and some 50 other tech bosses at a conference Wednesday aimed at persuading them to use their unprecedented global influence for the public good. That means things like fighting hate speech and investing in tech literacy for the masses.

The meeting comes after Zuckerberg faced tough questions Tuesday from European Union lawmakers. He apologized for the way the social network has been used to produce fake news and interfere in elections.

Facebook and other companies are also facing stringent new EU regulation this week on how they can use personal data.

Macron has supported efforts to regulate online giants, but champions innovation and sees himself as an ally of the tech world.