Another Facebook Whistleblower Has Come Forward
Claiming that hate speech and misinformation have been allowed to flourish on the site.
Another former Facebook employee has come forward alleging that the tech giant prioritizes profit over public safety, The Washington Post reported Friday.
The whistleblower, who shared information with The Post on the condition of anonymity, mirrored claims made by Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager who came forward earlier this month alleging misconduct at the company. The new whistleblower, a former member of Facebook’s Integrity team, wrote a five-page signed affidavit and submitted it to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
According to The Post, the affidavit alleges that “Facebook officials routinely undermined efforts to fight misinformation, hate speech and other problematic content out of fear of angering then-President Donald Trump and his political allies, or out of concern about potentially dampening the user growth key to Facebook’s multi-billion-dollar profits.”
Earlier this month, Haugen testified before the U.S. Senate after appearing on 60 Minutes to discuss her experiences at the company and its alleged mishandling of misinformation.
“The result has been more division, more harm, more lies, more threats, and more combat. In some cases, this dangerous online talk has led to actual violence that harms and even kills people,” Haugen testified in congress. “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.”
CEO Mark Zuckerberg published a statement on his personal Facebook account denying Haugen’s claims. “We have an industry-leading research program so that we can identify important issues and work on them. It’s disheartening to see that work taken out of context and used to construct a false narrative that we don’t care,” he wrote.
In other news, Facebook is reportedly preparing to change its name.
