Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlights
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlights

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “A lot of the changes that I’m talking about are not going to make Facebook an unprofitable company, it just won’t be a ludicrously profitable company like it is today,” she said. She said Facebook won't make those changes on its own if it might halt growth, even though the company's own research showed that people use the platform less when they’re exposed to more toxic content. “One could reason a kinder, friendlier, more collaborative Facebook might actually have more users five years from now, so it’s in everyone’s interest,” she said. BIPARTISAN OUTRAGE Democrats and Republicans on the committee said Tuesday’s hearing showed the need for new regulations that would change how Facebook targets users and amplifies content.

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Facebook whistleblower launches nonprofit to solve social media harms
2 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower launches nonprofit to solve social media harms

The Hindu  

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen is launching a nonprofit organisation that will seek solutions to harms created by social media, she said on Thursday. The former product manager at Facebook, since renamed Meta Platforms, made headlines last year after coming out as the source of thousands of leaked internal documents, which she said detailed the social media company's failures to protect …

Facebook whistleblower works to pass new internet laws
2 years, 7 months ago

Facebook whistleblower works to pass new internet laws

LA Times  

Frances Haugen, right, stands while being introduced during the State of the Union in March. Politics Instagram head faces senators amid anger over possible harm The head of a Senate panel examining social media’s negative effects on young people dismissed as a public relations tactic some safety measures announced by Facebook’s popular Instagram platform The company has maintained post-leak that …

Facebook whistleblower attends State of the Union as Biden calls for crackdown on social media firms
2 years, 10 months ago

Facebook whistleblower attends State of the Union as Biden calls for crackdown on social media firms

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A …

Whistleblower says Bill must include tool that forces Facebook to publish data
2 years, 10 months ago

Whistleblower says Bill must include tool that forces Facebook to publish data

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

U.S. lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill to address social media addiction
2 years, 10 months ago

U.S. lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill to address social media addiction

The Hindu  

Senators Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, and Cynthia Lummis, a Republican, introduced a bill aimed at addressing addiction to social media platforms like Meta Platform's Facebook or Twitter. A Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, made a big splash last year with documents showing that subsidiary Instagram was harmful to teenagers while others have alleged that social media platforms spread dangerous misinformation about …

Facebook Banned Trump 1 Year Ago. Social Media Hasn't Gotten Much Better.
3 years ago

Facebook Banned Trump 1 Year Ago. Social Media Hasn't Gotten Much Better.

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING So: Have they? Facebook “remains an extremist breeding ground,” offering militia groups unparalleled ability to spread anti-government propaganda, recruit new members and even run ads, according to a report by the Tech Transparency Project released last week. “The prevalence of these groups is startlingly similar to what we found a year ago.” In a separate study focused …

Facebook whistleblower fears the metaverse
3 years, 1 month ago

Facebook whistleblower fears the metaverse

The Hindu  

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said she fears the impact of the metaverse that the social media giant has rebranded to focus on delivering, saying the futuristic virtual reality world would force people to give up more of their personal information, be addicting and give the embattled company another monopoly in the online world. In an interview with The Associated Press …

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen slams 'Meta' rebrand
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen slams 'Meta' rebrand

The Hindu  

Former Facebook employee turned whistleblower Frances Haugen on November 1 slammed Facebook's rebrand as she reiterated her accusation that the company prioritized expansion over people's safety. Haugen had leaked internal documents that sparked weeks of criticism of the social media giant before CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced changing the name of Facebook's parent company to "Meta." Asked if Zuckerberg should step …

Facebook whistleblower Haugen urges Zuckerberg to step down
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook whistleblower Haugen urges Zuckerberg to step down

The Hindu  

In her first public address since she leaked a trove of damaging documents about Facebook's inner workings, whistleblower Frances Haugen urged her former boss, Mark Zuckerberg, to step down and allow change rather than devoting resources to a rebrand. "Over and over Facebook chooses expansion and new areas instead of sticking the landing on what they've already done, "Haugen told …

Facebook’s safety head tells U.K. lawmakers it does not amplify hate
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook’s safety head tells U.K. lawmakers it does not amplify hate

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc's algorithms demote rather than promote polarising content, its global head of safety told British lawmakers on Thursday, adding that the U.S. company would welcome effective government regulation. "I don't agree that we are amplifying hate," Davis told the committee on Thursday, adding: "I think we try to take in signals to ensure that we demote content that is …

Facebook grilled by UK lawmakers making online safety rules
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook grilled by UK lawmakers making online safety rules

Associated Press  

LONDON — British lawmakers grilled Facebook on Thursday over how it handles online safety as European countries move to rein in the power of social media companies. Facebook’s head of safety said the tech giant supports regulation and has no business interest in providing people with an “unsafe experience.” Representatives from Google, Twitter and TikTok also answered questions from a …

'Where does the buck stop?': UK lawmakers grill Facebook over online safety
3 years, 2 months ago

'Where does the buck stop?': UK lawmakers grill Facebook over online safety

Firstpost  

Representatives from Google, Twitter and TikTok also will be questioned by members of a parliamentary committee scrutinizing the British government’s draft online safety legislation London: British lawmakers grilled Facebook on Thursday over how it handles online safety as European countries move to rein in the power of social media companies, with the tech giant’s head of safety saying the company …

Facebook Papers: 6 big takeaways
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook Papers: 6 big takeaways

CNN  

CNN Business — Facebook is no stranger to the limelight. In response to these documents a Facebook spokesperson told CNN, “The responsibility for the violence that occurred on January 6 lies with those who attacked our Capitol and those who encouraged them.” Global lack of support Internal Facebook documents and research shared as part of Haugen’s disclosures highlight gaps in …

Facebook papers: Huge trove of documents released from inside social network, showing struggle to keep control
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook papers: Huge trove of documents released from inside social network, showing struggle to keep control

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A huge trove of documents from inside Facebook has been released, showing the …

Facebook whistleblower says the platform is making online hate worse
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook whistleblower says the platform is making online hate worse

LA Times  

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen told British lawmakers Monday that the social media giant stokes online hate and extremism, fails to protect children from harmful content and lacks any incentive to fix the problems, providing momentum for efforts by European governments working on stricter regulation of tech companies. Haugen added that she was “shocked to hear recently that Facebook wants to …

Ex-Facebook employee says company has known about disinformation problem for years
3 years, 2 months ago

Ex-Facebook employee says company has known about disinformation problem for years

NPR  

Ex-Facebook employee says company has known about disinformation problem for years Enlarge this image toggle caption Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit Facebook is on the defensive after a whistleblower leaked thousands of documents showing how the company failed to control the spread of false information and lies about the 2020 election. She says …

Facebook will fuel more unrest, whistle-blower tells UK lawmakers
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook will fuel more unrest, whistle-blower tells UK lawmakers

Al Jazeera  

The social media giant needs to stop its algorithms from pushing divisive content, Frances Haugen tells British politicians. Facebook Inc will fuel more violent unrest around the world unless it stops its algorithms from pushing extreme and divisive content, whistle-blower Frances Haugen has told a British parliamentary committee. The world’s biggest social network has rejected the charges, with CEO Mark …

Amid the Capitol riot, Facebook faced its own insurrection
3 years, 2 months ago

Amid the Capitol riot, Facebook faced its own insurrection

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — As supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th, battling police and forcing lawmakers into hiding, an insurrection of a different kind was taking place inside the world’s largest social media company. At the same time, frustration inside Facebook erupted over what some saw as the company’s halting and inconsistent response to rising extremism in …

Facebook Papers Reveal How It Had Been 'Fueling This Fire' Ahead Of The Insurrection
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook Papers Reveal How It Had Been 'Fueling This Fire' Ahead Of The Insurrection

Huff Post  

WASHINGTON — As supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th, battling police and forcing lawmakers into hiding, an insurrection of a different kind was taking place inside the world’s largest social media company. At the same time, frustration inside Facebook erupted over what some saw as the company’s halting and often reversed response to rising extremism …

Amid the Capitol riot, Facebook faced its own insurrection
3 years, 2 months ago

Amid the Capitol riot, Facebook faced its own insurrection

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — As supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th, battling police and forcing lawmakers into hiding, an insurrection of a different kind was taking place inside the world’s largest social media company. At the same time, frustration inside Facebook erupted over what some saw as the company’s halting and often reversed response to rising extremism …

New whistleblower accuses Facebook of promoting hate speech, misinformation on its platform
3 years, 2 months ago

New whistleblower accuses Facebook of promoting hate speech, misinformation on its platform

India Today  

Troubles don’t seem to end for Facebook anytime soon. The former member of Facebook’s integrity team turned whistleblower has accused Facebook of hosting hate speech and illegal activity. The new set of allegations arrive days after Frances Haugen, another former Facebook employee, accused the company of harming young users through Instagram. The report reveals that Facebook repeatedly undermined efforts to …

The Facebook Whistleblower Won’t Change Anything
3 years, 2 months ago

The Facebook Whistleblower Won’t Change Anything

Wired  

Truth be told, predicting the future isn’t my strong suit —but here’s one prediction I make with full confidence: The latest Facebook revelations, courtesy of whistleblower Frances Haugen, will have zero impact on regulation. Many people have, quite rightly, highlighted the different experiences of Frances Haugen and Sophie Zhang: the former a nice white lady whose concerns don’t stop her …

Politicians could regulate Facebook -- but they'd have to admit ugly truths about themselves too
3 years, 2 months ago

Politicians could regulate Facebook -- but they'd have to admit ugly truths about themselves too

Raw Story  

When 37-year-old Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before Congress on October 5, she brought thousands of stolen documents with her. Haugen is the latest expert to directly implicate Facebook in the tsunami of disinformation that was instrumental to Donald Trump's victory in 2016 and, more recently, his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Although the right fulminates about censorship, and …

Facebook will adopt new policies to address harassment targeting public figures
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook will adopt new policies to address harassment targeting public figures

NPR  

Facebook will adopt new policies to address harassment targeting public figures Enlarge this image toggle caption Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images Facebook will expand its current harassment policies to further protect users from abuse and harmful content on the platform. Facebook said in its announcement that it would remove "severe sexualizing content" and some other …

Facebook will try to ‘nudge’ teens away from harmful content
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook will try to ‘nudge’ teens away from harmful content

The Hindu  

A Facebook Inc executive said Sunday that the company would introduce new measures on its apps to prompt teens away from harmful content, as U.S lawmakers scrutinise how Facebook and subsidiaries like Instagram affect young people's mental health. Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president of global affairs, also expressed openness to the idea of letting regulators have access to Facebook algorithms …

Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlights
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlights

Associated Press  

A former Facebook employee told members of Congress Tuesday that the company knows that its platform spreads misinformation and content that harms children but refuses to make changes that could hurt its profits. “A lot of the changes that I’m talking about are not going to make Facebook an unprofitable company, it just won’t be a ludicrously profitable company like …

FB whistleblower calls for regulation
3 years, 3 months ago

FB whistleblower calls for regulation

The Hindu  

A Facebook whistleblower went before U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday to push them to regulate the social media giant, after an outage hit potentially billions of users and highlighted global dependence on its services. She spoke to Senators less than a day after Facebook, its photo-sharing app Instagram and messaging service WhatsApp went offline for roughly seven hours, with “billions of …

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s accusations against the social network
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s accusations against the social network

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “They are deadly - way beyond what we've seen so far.” Ms Haugen, who left the Big …

Facebook accused by whistleblower of focusing on profits instead of suppressing hate speech
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook accused by whistleblower of focusing on profits instead of suppressing hate speech

Firstpost  

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen said the social media giant’s products contributed to the Capitol riots in Washington, in January. Facebook has been accused by a whistleblower for concentrating more on profits than reducing hate speech and fake news and how its products contributed to the Capitol riots in Washington, in January. Facebook accused by a whistleblower Haugen recently appeared …

Self-regulation in social media not working: White House
3 years, 3 months ago

Self-regulation in social media not working: White House

The Hindu  

Social media platforms have made clear that self-regulation is not working, the White House asserted on October 4, saying reports about efforts to attract young users and negative effects on teenagers' mental health are troubling. “Reports in recent weeks, and I think obviously the whistleblower came forward last night in the report, about efforts to attract young users and negative …

Facebook products ‘harm children, stoke division’: Whistleblower
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook products ‘harm children, stoke division’: Whistleblower

Al Jazeera  

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen is urging US lawmakers to regulate the social media giant. “As long as Facebook is operating in the shadows, hiding its research from public scrutiny, it is unaccountable,” said Haugen, a former product manager on Facebook’s civic misinformation team. And I don’t know any tech company that sets out to build products that make people …

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy
3 years, 3 months ago

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy

NPR  

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images A former Facebook product manager told Congress on Tuesday that the company's products harm children and stoke division, while Facebook executives hide research about the social network's risks to keep its business humming. Facebook internal research provided by Haugen …

Ex-Facebook employee tells Congress social media giant endangers users, democracy
3 years, 3 months ago

Ex-Facebook employee tells Congress social media giant endangers users, democracy

LA Times  

Former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen testified Tuesday before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. “The company’s leadership knows ways to make Facebook and Instagram safer and won’t make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people,” said Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist who has …

Here are 4 key points from the Facebook whistleblower's testimony on Capitol Hill
3 years, 3 months ago

Here are 4 key points from the Facebook whistleblower's testimony on Capitol Hill

NPR  

Here are 4 key points from the Facebook whistleblower's testimony on Capitol Hill Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP Facebook is facing a historic crisis. "During my time at Facebook, I came to realize a devastating truth: Almost no one outside of Facebook knows what happens inside Facebook," Haugen told Congress. Facebook executive Monika Bickert told NPR's …

Facebook whistleblower testifies company ‘is operating in the shadows, hiding its research from public scrutiny’
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower testifies company ‘is operating in the shadows, hiding its research from public scrutiny’

CNN  

CNN Business — The Facebook whistleblower who released tens of thousands of pages of internal research and documents indicating the company was aware of various problems caused by its apps, including Instagram’s potential “toxic” effect on teen girls, called on Congress to take action against the social media platform in testimony before a Senate subcommittee Tuesday. But we must act …

Facebook whistleblower: Frances Haugen and her biggest revelations on 60 Minutes
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower: Frances Haugen and her biggest revelations on 60 Minutes

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Frances Haugen was interviewed on Sunday by CBS …

‘Facebook prioritising profit over safety’
3 years, 3 months ago

‘Facebook prioritising profit over safety’

The Hindu  

The whistleblower who shared a trove of Facebook documents alleging the social media giant knew its products were fuelling hate and harming children’s mental health revealed her identity on Sunday in a televised interview, and accused the company of choosing “profit over safety”. Frances Haugen, a 37-year-old data scientist, has worked for companies including Google and Pinterest — but said …

Whistleblower: Facebook chose profit over public safety
3 years, 3 months ago

Whistleblower: Facebook chose profit over public safety

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — A data scientist who was revealed Sunday as the Facebook whistleblower says that whenever there was a conflict between the public good and what benefited the company, the social media giant would choose its own interests. Post-election, the company dissolved a unit on civic integrity where she had been working, which Haugen said was the moment she …

Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen Reveals Identity In Bombshell '60 Minutes' Interview
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen Reveals Identity In Bombshell '60 Minutes' Interview

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING A whistleblowing former Facebook employee publicly revealed her identity for the first time on “60 Minutes” Sunday to condemn the company for helping to fuel the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection and exacerbating the political polarization around the world. She was so disturbed by several actions taken by Facebook during that time, she told Scott Pelley of …

Whistleblower says Facebook put profit before reining in hate speech
3 years, 3 months ago

Whistleblower says Facebook put profit before reining in hate speech

Live Mint  

A Facebook Inc whistleblower on Sunday accused the social media giant of repeatedly prioritizing profit over clamping down on hate speech and misinformation, and said her lawyers have filed at least eight complaints with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Frances Haugen, who worked as a product manager on the civic misinformation team at Facebook, appeared on Sunday on the …

Facebook rushed to ditch misinformation safeguards after US election and fed Capitol riot, whistleblower claims
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook rushed to ditch misinformation safeguards after US election and fed Capitol riot, whistleblower claims

ABC  

A data scientist who worked with Facebook has accused the social media company of choosing profit over reducing the platform's potential to spread misinformation and foster radicalisation. Key points: A former manager at Facebook says the company must focus more on curbing misinformation She says the company's behaviour fed the January 6 Capitol riot in the US Facebook has rejected …

Facebook goes on offense ahead of whistleblower revelations on Capitol riot role
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook goes on offense ahead of whistleblower revelations on Capitol riot role

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Clegg’s Friday memo, obtained by …

Facebook: ‘Ludicrous’ to say it fuelled US Capitol riot
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook: ‘Ludicrous’ to say it fuelled US Capitol riot

Al Jazeera  

Facebook’s vice president of policy and global affairs Nick Clegg also pushed back at the assertion its platforms are ‘toxic’ for teens. Facebook has dismissed as “ludicrous” suggestions it contributed to the US Capitol riot on January 6, a charge the social media giant expects will be levelled in an upcoming whistle-blower interview. Facebook’s vice president of policy and global …

Senators push Facebook exec on Instagram policies for youth
3 years, 3 months ago

Senators push Facebook exec on Instagram policies for youth

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Senators fired a barrage of criticism Thursday at a Facebook executive over the social-networking giant’s handling of internal research on how its Instagram photo-sharing platform can harm teens. “It’s abundantly clear that Facebook views the events of the last two weeks purely as a PR problem, and that the issues raised by the leaked research haven’t led to …

Foes united vs Facebook over Instagram's effect on teens
3 years, 3 months ago

Foes united vs Facebook over Instagram's effect on teens

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mounting public pressure over the revelations have prompted …

Facebook whistleblower isn't protected from possible company retaliation, experts say
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook whistleblower isn't protected from possible company retaliation, experts say

NPR  

Facebook whistleblower isn't protected from possible company retaliation, experts say Enlarge this image toggle caption CBS CBS A Facebook whistleblower who provided tens of thousands of internal documents to federal regulators that reportedly show that the company lied about its ability to combat hate, violence and misinformation on its platform is set to reveal her identity in a nationally broadcast …

US lawmakers question Facebook on Instagram policies for children
3 years, 3 months ago

US lawmakers question Facebook on Instagram policies for children

Al Jazeera  

United States lawmakers have heaped criticism on Facebook Inc on the company’s plans to protect children who use its social media platforms, after a leaked internal investigation showed the social media giant was aware of how its Instagram app harmed the mental health of teenagers. Democratic Senator Edward Markey added: “IG stands for Instagram, but it also stands for Insta-greed.” …

Whistleblower behind damning 'Facebook Files' will reveal identity and testify before Congress
3 years, 3 months ago

Whistleblower behind damning 'Facebook Files' will reveal identity and testify before Congress

Daily Mail  

The whistleblower who leaked the notorious 'Facebook Files' which revealed that the social media giant knew Instagram could be toxic to teenage girls, will reveal their identity and testify Congress before the end of 2020. A source familiar with the matter said the whistleblower has agreed to work with Congress and plans to appear before the Senate Commerce Committee Consumer …

Facebook explains content it demotes in news feed in bid for transparency
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook explains content it demotes in news feed in bid for transparency

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc on Thursday said it reduces the distribution of certain content including clickbait,posts with "sensationalist" or exaggerated health claims or low-quality videos on its news feed, and outlined its content guidelines as the social media platform faces increased scrutiny over how it displays content to users. In a blog post, Facebook said it sought to provide clarity on the …

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