Not even an international grand committee on “fake news” made up of members of nine national parliaments, from Canada to Brazil, could compel Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg to appear before it today.

Zuck’s no-show, a repeat offence as concerns the UK’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee who chaired today’s hearing, led to frustrated MPs putting out an empty chair for the tech billionaire.

Instead of the main man, members of the DCMS Committee, alongside parliamentarians from Canada, Ireland, France, Belgium, Argentina, Brazil, Latvia and Singapore, had to make do with Facebook’s VP of policy solutions – and UK peer – Lord Richard Allan.