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Watch Live Facebook Whistleblower Testifies Before US Senate on Online Child Protection
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before a Senate hearing, urging the government to regulate the social media company.
In a rare moment of unity rarely seen in Congress, Ms Haugen answered in-depth questions from lawmakers on both sides regarding the impact of social media on children, concerns about national security and her specific recommendations for reforming the sector.
Testimony adds to Ms Haugen’s interview with CBS 60 minutes Sunday, said the social network had repeatedly favored “growth over security” and “tear our societies apart.”
Facebook shares fell on Monday following Ms Haugen’s interview and as its businesses experienced an extended outage.
This was the company’s worst session performance in almost a year, as the stock price fell 4.9% – the worst drop since the 5% drop on November 9, 2020.
According to her written testimony, which is due to be heard by the Senate trade subcommittee on Tuesday, Ms Haugen will compare the practices of the social media giant to those of the tobacco and auto industries.
“When we realized the tobacco companies were hiding the harm they were causing, the government took action. When we realized that cars were safer with seat belts, the government took action, ”Ms. Haugen said in her written testimony. “I implore you to do the same here.”
Earlier this year, Ms Haugen left Facebook, where she worked as a member of its disinformation team. Before leaving her post, she copied a series of memos and internal documents that were shared by The Wall Street Journal in the past three weeks.
ICYMI: opening statement by Haughen
In case you missed it, here’s Ms. Haughen’s full opening statement.
Olivier o’connellOctober 5, 2021 8:20 PM
“The money stops with Mark”
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen accused company founder Mark Zuckerberg of putting “profits before people” when he allegedly knew his site was harming children and societies in general. around the world during his testimony in the Senate.
She and senators at Monday’s hearing blamed the problems with the site at Mr Zuckerberg’s feet, with Ms Haugen saying: “The responsibility ends with Mark. There is no one currently holding Mark responsible except himself. “
John Bowden reports for The independent of Washington, DC.
Olivier o’connellOctober 5, 2021 8:07 PM
What is section 230?
Lawmakers have proposed removing or reforming part of a piece of legislation – the Communications Decency Act 1996, particularly Section 230 – as a way to force big tech companies to take a tougher stance toward moderation of content on their platforms.
Here is a short explanation from the AP on the rule that made the modern internet.
Olivier o’connellOctober 5, 2021 7:49 PM
Haugen “against the breakup of Facebook”
One of the proposals to reform and regulate the social media environment that has been launched on both sides of the Atlantic is to dismantle Facebook – and other tech giants.
Facebook is often singled out for its inability to deal with misinformation, privacy concerns, and its history of buying or copying smaller competitors.
Ms Haugen believes the disbandment of the social media giant won’t do much to address these issues, as the underlying problem will remain algorithms and engagement-based ranking of newsfeeds, as she said. repeatedly described in his testimony.
“What scares me is that Facebook is the Internet for a lot of people. If you go to Africa, the Internet is Facebook. If you separate Facebook and Instagram, chances are most of the advertising dollars will go to Instagram and Facebook will continue to be that life-threatening Frankenstein around the world. Only now there will be no more money [from advertisers] to finance it.
According to her, this would make it harder to deal with issues based on what people see in the news feeds, as there are limits to what artificial intelligence can solve in terms of problematic content.
“These systems will continue to exist and be dangerous even if they are broken,” she argued, suggesting that a more collaborative approach would be more effective.
Olivier o’connellOctober 5, 2021 7:36 PM
Voice: Will we finally see a decline in the influence of social media companies?
Olivier o’connellOctober 5, 2021 7:19 PM
Senator Lee Presents Examples of Facebook Ads Targeting Children
Olivier o’connellOctober 5, 2021 7:01 PM
Isolated people most exposed to disinformation
Ms Haugen testified: “Facebook knows that the people who are most exposed to most of the misinformation are recently widowed, divorced, moving to a new city and isolated in another way.”
Olivier o’connellOctober 5, 2021 6:41 PM
Audience ends with emotional text from Blumenthal’s constituent
Senator Blumenthal closes the hearing by reading a moving text he received from a voter in Connecticut who says he is “in tears” watching Ms. Haugen’s testimony.
He writes that his daughter developed severe anorexia from heavy Instagram use.
“I’m afraid she’ll never be the same again.”
Olivier o’connellOctober 5, 2021 6:26 PM
In addition, children feel that they cannot stop for fear of being ostracized.
When asked how Facebook could be compared to big tobacco in its efforts to hook young people, Ms Haugen said there were few “dopamine hits” obtained by getting likes and comments on posts on social networks and that they were afraid of being disconnected from their friends and peers and that they might miss.
Facebook’s own searches of Instagram included quotes from kids saying they feel bad when using Instagram but can’t stop, she told the subcommittee.
Olivier o’connellOctober 5, 2021 6:23 PM
A potential “scary future” for children
Children are at the heart of audiences today and the impact social media will have on them in the future.
Ms Haugen is particularly worried. She warns of a “scary future” for children and their relationships if they grow up without a feedback loop of seeing a person’s reaction when you say something to them in person, versus the internet with no response or consequence. immediate.
“They learn to be incredibly cruel to each other,” she says.
Olivier o’connellOctober 5, 2021 6:17 PM
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