Facebook whistleblower allegations

A former Facebook employee behind a series of bombshell allegations has revealed her identity in a U.S. primetime TV interview


Oct 3, 2021: Frances Haugen, data scientist from Iowa and former product manager at Facebook’s Civic Integrity unit, appears on CBS 60 Minutes news show

Haugen claims she is whistleblower who leaked thousands of pages of private Facebook research to The Wall Street Journal, which has serialised her exposés in past weeks

We have evidence from a variety of sources that hate speech, divisive political speech, and misinformation on Facebook and the family of apps are affecting societies around the world 
Quote from alleged internal Facebook document, aired on 60 Minutes


KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HAUGEN’S ALLEGATIONS
        
Algorithm intentionally shows users content to make them angry
Haugen claims angry users generate greatest engagement – which Facebook turns into advertising revenue

Political parties in Europe had to run negative ads to reach people
Parties found they had to take stances they did not like, and that were bad for society, to gain any engagement on Facebook

Instagram (which is owned by Facebook) makes children unhappy
13.5% of teenage girls say Instagram increases thoughts of suicide, 17% say it worsens eating disorders

Civic Integrity unit dissolved before Jan 6 Capitol riots
Haugen’s team, responsible for combatting political misinformation, was shut down immediately after Nov 2020 election

Haugen believes she is protected from prosecution by Dodd-Frank Act – created to allow whistleblowers to talk to Securities and Exchange Commission

Nick Clegg, Facebook’s Vice President of Global Affairs, says it is ludicrous to suggest social media is responsible for Jan 6 insurrection
 

Sources: CBS, BBC, CNN, Gizmodo, The Verge 
Pictures: CBS, CNN 
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