‘Facebook prioritising profit over safety’

Whistleblower calls for regulation

October 04, 2021 10:29 pm | Updated 10:29 pm IST - Washington

FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of Facebook logo in this illustration picture, April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of Facebook logo in this illustration picture, April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

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 in an interview that Facebook was “substantially worse”.

She called for the company to be regulated. “It is subsidising, it is paying for its profits with our safety,” Ms. Haugen said.

“The version of Facebook that exists today is tearing our societies apart and causing ethnic violence around the world,” she said.

The world's largest social media platform has been embroiled in a firestorm brought about by Ms. Haugen, who as an unnamed whistleblower shared documents with U.S. lawmakers and TheWall Street Journal that detailed how Facebook knew its products, including Instagram, were harming young girls, especially around body image.

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