Today, the U.S. Congress held a hearing featuring former Facebook content moderator Frances Haugen, who previously revealed numerous details about the operations of the giant platform. The woman who leaked many of the social media giant's secrets last week stated, "Through my work, I discovered that Facebook operates in a way that harms young people and undermines democracy." She added that the company collects information from the public and governments, misleading the public on various issues.
Haugen emphasized that the billion-dollar company operates in the shadows and frequently changes its policies, noting that no one outside the company understands just how dangerous it truly is, as those who have worked there do. Furthermore, she stressed that the social media giant hides behind walls and aims to ensure that no one comprehends the reality of its system. Regarding Mark Zuckerberg's role, she stated that the founder of "the blue site" is aware of the implications of the algorithms used by the platform, and therefore things cannot happen without his knowledge. She added that Facebook knew about the dangers posed by its operating mechanisms on children and argued that the company should be forced to change its behavior.
Before her testimony, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal launched a fierce attack on the famous company, accusing it of greed and ignoring the pain of others. He also accused Facebook of prioritizing profits over the well-being and health of ordinary people, particularly teenagers, especially since the company allowed minors to create secret accounts without their guardians' knowledge. Additionally, he noted that the platform has doubled investments to encourage minors to use its services. Blumenthal asserted that Facebook would face severe consequences if involvement in deception is proven and that major tech companies are now at a moment of accountability for this disaster.
Senator Marsha Blackburn discussed the repercussions and effects of the Instagram platform on teenagers, especially girls, considering that Facebook has not prioritized the safety of minors. The Republican senator from Mississippi expressed that American children have become dependent on tech giants and urged Haugen to disclose everything she possesses. Many members thanked the former employee for her contribution in clarifying the true image of Facebook and exposing the deception practiced by Zuckerberg’s company.
It is noteworthy that Haugen has leaked vast amounts of internal documents from one of the world's most powerful social media platforms in recent days. She accused the company of promoting algorithms that amplify hate speech, claiming that it profits at the expense of public safety. She also confirmed the negative impacts on teenage girls and children, adding that the company ignored the risks posed to minors. She remarked that she has worked at several companies, including Google, but the situation was particularly dire at Facebook due to the company's desire to prioritize profits over user welfare.
This testimony today marks a third blow to Facebook within days, following the initial leak and then the massive outage that struck the company last night and lasted for hours.
