Whistleblower: Don't put your faith in Facebook

On Tuesday, whistleblower Frances Haugen briefed the Senate with a warning for Facebook and its executives: Don't trust Facebook.

The former project manager whose disclosures have rocked the world's most popular social network slammed Mark Zuckerberg and his business for intentionally promoting goods that damage children and young people in order to maximize profits indefinitely.

She said Facebook's failure to devote more resources to preventing foreign adversaries from using the platform in troubling ways poses a threat to U.S. national security, adding that "I'm speaking to other parts of Congress about that."

"I have strong national security concerns about how Facebook operates today," Haugen said.

Haugen's other message: Washington must act.

"I am here today because I believe Facebook's products harm children, stoke division, and weaken our democracy," Haugen said, two days after going public in a "60 Minutes" interview. "The company's leadership knows how to make Facebook and Instagram safer, but won't make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people. Congressional action is needed. They won't solve this crisis without your help."

Facebook has stated that media coverage of Haugen's revelations misrepresents the firm's internal research, and Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone said on Tuesday that the whistleblower is not a specialist in one of the major areas she's speaking about.

05 October 2021