Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will meet the leaders of the European Parliament to answer questions about the improper use of millions of users' data by British consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

The world's largest social network has come under scrutiny over the way it handles personal data after revelations that British consultancy Cambridge Analytica, which worked on Donald Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign, improperly accessed the Facebook data of 87 million users.

"We have accepted the Council of President's proposal to meet with leaders of the European Parliament and appreciate the opportunity for dialogue, to listen to their views and show the steps we are taking to better protect people's privacy," a spokesman for Facebook said in Washington.

The British parliament also requested that Zuckerberg answer questions from lawmakers but the firm's chief technology officer attended that hearing instead.

Zuckerberg is expected to visit the European Parliament next week.