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 the U.S. “Haven’t we had enough time to figure out how to manage discourse without enabling violence?” one employee wrote on an internal message board at the height of the Jan. 6 turmoil. “As soon as the election was over, they turned them back off or they changed the settings back to what they were before, to prioritize growth over safety,” Haugen said in an interview with “60 Minutes.” An internal Facebook report following Jan. 6, previously reported by BuzzFeed, faulted the company for having a “piecemeal” approach to the rapid growth of “Stop the Steal” pages, related misinformation sources, and violent and inciteful comments. One employee who departed the company in 2020 left a long note charging that promising new tools, backed by strong research, were being constrained by Facebook for “fears of public and policy stakeholder responses”. Those results led the researcher, whose name was redacted by the whistleblower, to recommend safety measures running from removing content with known conspiracy references and disabling “top contributor” badges for misinformation commenters to lowering the threshold number of followers required before Facebook verifies a page administrator’s identity.

Congress Trump Company Content Study Capitol Jan Riot Facebook Measures Haugen  riot  study  measures  content  jan  wrote  faced  insurrection  amid  internal  election  facebook  company  misinformation  capitol

History of this topic

Facebook defamation ruling highlights costly legal dangers of social media posts, say lawyers
1 year, 5 months ago

Facebook defamation ruling highlights costly legal dangers of social media posts, say lawyers

ABC  

The case of a Queensland woman who has been ordered to pay $279,000 in damages to a couple she defamed in a Facebook group highlights a growing problem of people being unaware they are legally responsible for what they post online, lawyers say. Key points: A Queensland woman has been ordered to pay $279,000 to her ex-neighbours for defaming them …

Facebook wanted out of politics. It was messier than anyone expected
1 year, 11 months ago

Facebook wanted out of politics. It was messier than anyone expected

Live Mint  

After the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. said it wanted to scale back how much political content it showed users. “As Mark said almost two years ago, people wanted to see less politics overall on Facebook while still being able to engage with political content if they want to, and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing," …

Facebook whistleblower attends State of the Union as Biden calls for crackdown on social media firms
2 years, 9 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 …

Writing on the wall
2 years, 9 months ago

Writing on the wall

The Hindu  

A lot can happen in a year. In January 2021, when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg presented the social media giant’s fourth-quarter earnings, he said he plans to increase privacy-focused features, blend social commerce with messaging applications, and build the next computing platform. Facebook waning Though Facebook does not share data about the number of active users app wise, its core …

How Morale at Facebook Tumbled After Trump’s “Looting and Shooting” Post
54 years, 11 months ago

How Morale at Facebook Tumbled After Trump’s “Looting and Shooting” Post

Slate  

A year and a half ago, as the world erupted in mass protests in response to the murder of George Floyd and racist police violence more broadly, workplaces and institutions across the United States faced a reckoning over the country’s history of systemic racism, and their roles in it. On May 29, 2020, just a few days after Floyd’s death …

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, 1 month 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, 1 month 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, 1 month 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 …

America ‘on fire': Facebook watched as Trump ignited hate
3 years, 1 month ago

America ‘on fire': Facebook watched as Trump ignited hate

Associated Press  

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The reports of hateful and violent posts on Facebook started pouring in on the night of May 28 last year, soon after then-President Donald Trump sent a warning on social media that looters in Minneapolis would be shot. But it wasn’t until after Trump posted about Floyd’s death that the reports of violence and hate speech increased …

Facebook Papers: 6 big takeaways
3 years, 1 month 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 whistleblower says riots and genocides are the ‘opening chapters’ if action isn’t taken
3 years, 1 month ago

Facebook whistleblower says riots and genocides are the ‘opening chapters’ if action isn’t taken

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. “Engagement-based ranking prioritises and amplifies divisive, polarising content”, Ms Haugen said, adding that the company could make …

Facebook papers: Huge trove of documents released from inside social network, showing struggle to keep control
3 years, 1 month 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 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 often reversed response to rising extremism …

January 6 insurrection and Facebook: Internal docs paint a damning picture
3 years, 2 months ago

January 6 insurrection and Facebook: Internal docs paint a damning picture

CNN  

CNN Business — Just days after insurrectionists stormed the Capitol on January 6th, Facebook’s Chief Operational Officer Sheryl Sandberg downplayed her company’s role in what had happened. “After the violence at the Capitol erupted and as we saw continued attempts to organize events to dispute the outcome of the presidential election, we removed content with the phrase ‘stop the steal’ …

Facebook’s oversight board seeks details on VIPs’ treatment
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook’s oversight board seeks details on VIPs’ treatment

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Facebook’s semi-independent oversight board says the company has fallen short of full disclosure on its internal system that exempts high-profile users from some or all of its content rules. The report said Facebook wrongly failed to mention the XCheck system when it asked the board earlier this year to rule on its ban on former President Donald Trump’s …

Opinion: Facebook, don’t change your name – change your CEO
3 years, 2 months ago

Opinion: Facebook, don’t change your name – change your CEO

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Kara Alaimo, an associate professor in the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University, writes about women and social media. CNN — As the world begins to truly contend with just how dangerous social media platforms can be, Facebook’s reckoning has been kicked into overdrive following former staffer Frances Haugen’s shocking allegations that the company has long …

Facebook to change rules on attacking public figures on its platforms
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook to change rules on attacking public figures on its platforms

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc will now count activists and journalists as "involuntary" public figures and so increase protections against harassment and bullying targeted at these groups, its global safety chief said in an interview this week. Facebook also differentiates between public figures and private individuals in the protections it affords around online discussion: for instance, users are generally allowed to call for …

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 …

Explained | Could Facebook sue whistleblower Frances Haugen?
3 years, 2 months ago

Explained | Could Facebook sue whistleblower Frances Haugen?

The Hindu  

Facebook has recently taken a harsher tone toward whistleblower Frances Haugen, suggesting that the social network could be considering legal retaliation after Ms. Haugen went public with internal research that she copied before leaving her job earlier this year. In an Associated Press interview Thursday, Facebook executive Monika Bickert repeatedly referred to the documents Ms. Haugen copied as “stolen,” a …

Facebook knows it is in trouble as Mark Zuckerberg picks his battles
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook knows it is in trouble as Mark Zuckerberg picks his battles

Hindustan Times  

When Senator Edward Markey on Tuesday called Frances Haugen “a 21st-century American hero,” it underlined the trouble Facebook finds itself in. Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook is defending allegations that the company has long ignored teenage safety on its platforms, particularly Instagram, resolving conflicts in favour of profits. Facebook has been accused of hiding internal research about how Instagram’s algorithms were negatively …

Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlights
3 years, 2 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, 2 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, 2 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, 2 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 …

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy
3 years, 2 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, 2 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, 2 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 prioritising profit over safety’
3 years, 2 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 …

The Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, says she wants to fix the company, not harm it
3 years, 2 months ago

The Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, says she wants to fix the company, not harm it

Live Mint  

The former Facebook Inc. employee who gathered documents that formed the foundation of The Wall Street Journal’s Facebook Files series said she acted to help prompt change at the social-media giant, not to stir anger toward it. In a series of interviews, Ms. Haugen, who left the company in May after nearly two years, said that she had come into …

Whistleblower: Facebook chose profit over public safety
3 years, 2 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 …

Whistleblower says Facebook put profit before reining in hate speech
3 years, 2 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, 2 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, 2 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, 2 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, 2 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 …

Facebook whistleblower isn't protected from possible company retaliation, experts say
3 years, 2 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 …

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 oversight board to review ‘XCheck’ system for VIPs
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook oversight board to review ‘XCheck’ system for VIPs

The Hindu  

Facebook’s semi-independent oversight board says it will review the company’s ‘XCheck’ or cross check system, following an investigation by The Wall Street Journal into the use of this internal system that has exempted high-profile users from some or all of its rules. The Journal ’s report found that many VIP users abuse the system, “posting material including harassment and incitement …

Facebook calls Wall Street Journal reports “deliberate mischaracterizations”
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook calls Wall Street Journal reports “deliberate mischaracterizations”

The Hindu  

Last week, Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook’s content moderation fails to take strict action against politicians and celebrities who violate the platform’s rules. In a response to the articles, Facebook’s head of global affairs Nick Clegg called the reports “deliberate mischaracterizations” of the work the company does. However, he added the allegations that Facebook conducts research, and then systematically …

Like Fake Accounts, Facebook Will Also Shut Real Accounts Engaging in Trolling: Report
3 years, 3 months ago

Like Fake Accounts, Facebook Will Also Shut Real Accounts Engaging in Trolling: Report

News 18  

Facebook is taking a more aggressive approach to shut down coordinated groups of real-user accounts engaging in certain harmful activities on its platform, using the same strategy its security teams take against campaigns using fake accounts, the company told Reuters. Facebook said it now plans to take this same network-level approach with groups of coordinated real accounts that systemically break …

Facebook bans German accounts under new ‘social harm’ policy
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook bans German accounts under new ‘social harm’ policy

Associated Press  

Facebook removed almost 150 accounts and pages linked to anti-lockdown demonstrators in Germany, the company announced Thursday, under a new policy focused on groups that spread misinformation or incite violence but who don’t fit into the platform’s existing categories of bad actors. The action is the first under Facebook’s new policy focused on preventing “coordinated social harm,” which company officials …

Facebook shows how with great power comes great irresponsibility
3 years, 4 months ago

Facebook shows how with great power comes great irresponsibility

Live Mint  

What is the price of being connected? That’s what Cecilia Kang and Sheera Frenkel, award-winning tech journalists at The New York Times, uncover in their new book, An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle For Domination. In the early chapters, Kang and Frenkel dive into the period between Facebook’s inception and the 2016 US presidential election, parsing events and decisions that …

Facebook to give more clarity on how it handles satirical content
3 years, 6 months ago

Facebook to give more clarity on how it handles satirical content

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc said it will be more transparent about how it aims to handle satirical posts on the platform, following a recommendation by the Oversight Board. The move comes after the independent governing body examined a case appealed by someone on Facebook, regarding a comment with a meme depicting Turkey having to choose between "The Armenian Genocide is a lie" …

Facebook employees demand change around Palestine posts: Report
3 years, 6 months ago

Facebook employees demand change around Palestine posts: Report

Al Jazeera  

A letter signed by nearly 200 Facebook employees urges the company’s executives to set up an internal task force to ‘investigate and address potential biases’ in both its human and automated content moderation systems, the Financial Times reported. Nearly 200 Facebook employees have signed a letter urging the company’s executives to address concerns that pro-Palestine voices on the social media …

Donald Trump egged on Capitol rioters, says Facebook panel co-chair
3 years, 7 months ago

Donald Trump egged on Capitol rioters, says Facebook panel co-chair

India Today  

Donald Trump encouraged the Capitol rioters and so earned his Facebook ban, but the social media giant's rules are in "shambles" and need fixing, the co-chair of the network's oversight panel said Sunday. "He issued these statements which were just egging on -- with perfunctory asking for peace -- but mostly he was just egging them on to continue," oversight …

Everyone On Facebook’s Oversight Board Should Resign
3 years, 8 months ago

Everyone On Facebook’s Oversight Board Should Resign

Wired  

The Facebook Oversight Board is on the cusp of deciding whether Donald Trump should be allowed to return to a platform he used to incite racist violence. The board’s toothlessness became even more apparent as Facebook allowed Trump to repeat claims of election fraud, which set the stage for the deadly white-supremacist insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6. …

Capitol rioters have been ratted out by loved ones, high school friends and 'Facebook stalkers': analysis
3 years, 8 months ago

Capitol rioters have been ratted out by loved ones, high school friends and 'Facebook stalkers': analysis

Raw Story  

On Wednesday, The Daily Beast released an episode of the "Fever Dreams" podcast in which Will Sommer and Asawin Suebsaeng interviewed Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilly about the ways that Capitol rioters have been caught by federal authorities. One of the key takeaways, Reilly told them, is that many of the rioters have either outed themselves by mistake, or been …

Discover Related