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A former employee of Facebook Inc said that the social media giant’s products harmed the mental health of some young users, sparked disagreements and weakened democracy, and urged U.S. legislators to regulate the company.
Whistleblower Francis Haogen told the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Tuesday that Facebook has repeatedly misled the public that it knows the damage that girls have suffered from its photo-sharing app Instagram, and how its products have contributed to disagreements.
“I am here today because I believe that Facebook’s products will harm children, cause division and weaken our democracy,” Hogan said in a statement before she testified on Capitol Hill.
“Congressional action is needed. Without your help, they will not be able to resolve this crisis.”
Her testimony was on the second day of losses suffered by Facebook and its two main services Instagram and messaging app Whatsapp Hours of global power outages, And after weeks of increasing pressure on social media companies to explain their policies for young users.
Haugen Listed In an interview with CBS on October 3, she revealed that she was the person who provided the documents used in the Wall Street Journal investigation and Senate hearing. What Instagram calls hurt.
The Wall Street Journal reported that when the company made changes to its content algorithm, it exacerbated online polarization; failed to take measures to reduce vaccine hesitation, and realized that Instagram was harming the mental health of girls.
Haugen told the panel of experts on Tuesday: “As long as Facebook operates in the shadows and hides its research from public scrutiny, it is irresponsible.”
“Until the incentives change, Facebook will not change. If left unchecked, Facebook will continue to make choices that go against the common interests,” she said. “Facebook is hidden behind the wall, preventing researchers and regulators from understanding the true dynamics of its system.”
Facebook spokesperson Kevin McAlister (Kevin McAlister) said in an email to the Reuters news agency that the company believes that protecting its community is more important than maximizing profits.
He also said that leaked internal research shows that Instagram is “harmful” to girls is not accurate.
This echoes the testimony of Antigone Davis, Facebook’s head of global security, Publish Before the same Senate committee last week. “We are very concerned about the safety and security of people on our platform,” Davis said at the time.
“We take this issue very seriously…We have taken multiple protective measures to create a safe and age-appropriate experience for people between 13 and 17 years old.”
‘Shocking moment’
But at the hearing on Tuesday, the US senator accused Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg of being indifferent to user safety while pursuing higher profits.They also US regulators are required to investigate Haugen’s allegations that the company’s products harm children and cause division.
In an era of serious political divisions in Washington, DC, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers agreed on the need for major changes.
In the opening speech, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal (Richard Blumenthal), chairman of the subcommittee presided over the hearing, said that Facebook knew that its products, such as cigarettes, would be addictive.
“Technology is now facing a jaw-dropping critical moment for the big tobacco companies,” Blumenthal said.
He called on Zuckerberg to come to the committee and called on the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the company.
Facebook denies these allegations, saying it believes that protecting the community is more important than profit [Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg]“Our children are victims. The teenagers looking in the mirror today feel suspicious and insecure. Mark Zuckerberg should look at himself in the mirror,” Blumenthal said.
The top Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of the subcommittee said that Facebook turned a blind eye to children under 13 on its website. “It is clear that Facebook puts profits above the well-being of children and all users,” Blackburn said.
Al Jazeera reporter Shihab Rattansi from Capitol Hill said that due to the protection of freedom of speech in the United States’ First Amendment, monitoring content on Facebook and other social media platforms will be tricky for Congress.
“The question becomes,’So what standard will be used and who will oversee this’,” Rattansi said.
Despite this, Jason Kint, CEO of the Digital Content Next trade organization, said Tuesday’s hearing was significant. “The difference at this moment is that we have evidence from inside the building,” he told Al Jazeera.
“This hearing provides evidence that they know, and there are actual empirical data to support all these downstream hazards of the platform’s operation.”
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