Facebook whistleblower to say former employer an ‘urgent threat’ to U.S.
Fb whistleblower Frances Haugen is interviewed by Scott Pelley for a CBS Information 60 Minutes program in an undated {photograph}. Robert Fortunato for CBS Information/60MINUTES/Handout through REUTERS
WASHINGTON, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Fb whistleblower Frances Haugen will seem earlier than the U.S. Congress Tuesday, the place she is about to sharply criticize her former employer as “probably the most pressing threats” going through the nation, and to demand transparency about its operations with a view to higher regulate it.
Haugen, a former product supervisor on Fb’s civic misinformation staff, says the social media large retains its algorithms and operations a secret.
“The core of the difficulty is that nobody can perceive Fb’s harmful decisions higher than Fb, as a result of solely Fb will get to look beneath the hood,” she mentioned in written testimony ready for the listening to.
“A important place to begin for efficient regulation is transparency,” she mentioned in testimony to be delivered to a Senate Commerce subcommittee.
“On this basis, we will construct wise guidelines and requirements to handle shopper harms, unlawful content material, knowledge safety, anticompetitive practices, algorithmic programs and extra.”
Haugen will inform the panel that Fb executives usually select income over person security.
“The corporate’s management is aware of methods to make Fb and Instagram safer and will not make the mandatory adjustments as a result of they’ve put their immense income earlier than individuals,” she’s going to say. “It’s accountable to nobody.”
Haugen got here ahead this week she was the one who supplied paperwork utilized in a Wall Road Journal investigation and a Senate listening to on Instagram’s hurt to teen women.
Fb didn’t reply to a request for remark.
The Journal’s tales confirmed the corporate contributed to elevated polarization on-line when it made adjustments to its content material algorithm; didn’t take steps to cut back vaccine hesitancy; and was conscious that Instagram harmed the psychological well being of teenage women.
Haugen mentioned Fb had additionally executed too little to stop its platform from being utilized by individuals planning violence.
Fb was utilized by individuals planning mass killings in Myanmar and the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, decided to toss out the 2020 election outcomes.
Reporting by Diane Bartz, Enhancing by Rosalba O’Brien
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