Facebook Whistleblower To Appear Before US Congress: 10 Things To Know

Facebook Whistleblower: A former employee at Facebook will be appearing before the U.S. Congress. The Facebook whistleblower called the social media site “one of the most urgent threats.”

Frances Haugen worked as product manager of civic misinformation at Facebook. Her testimony reportedly said, “the social media giant keeps its algorithms and operations a secret.”

Here is what we know of Facebook Whistleblower's appearance before US Congress:

1. She will appear before the US Congress on Tuesday. She called the social media company “one of the most urgent threats” and said effectively regulating through transparency is a critical starting point in her testimony to be delivered to a Senate Commerce subcommittee.
2. She claimed that the reason nobody is able to understand the company’s “destructive choices” is because they are not revealed. The algorithms and illegalities are kept hidden “because only Facebook gets to look under the hood.”
3. Haugen will accuse Facebook executives of repeatedly 'choosing to prioritise their personal gain over the users’ safety.
4. According to Reuters, Haugen said that the leadership of the company is aware of methods to make the platform safer but “won’t make the necessary changes.”
5. “It is accountable to no one,” said the Facebook whistleblower, referring to the company.
6. Haugen revealed that she was the source of official documents that were a part of the Wall Street Journal investigation article in mid-September which prompted a Senate Commerce Committee hearing about Facebook.
7. The social media company has been accused of polarised the content on its feed as a result of a change in the algorithm. It was also reported to have played no effective role in minimising vaccine hesitancy.
8. Haugen claimed that there was a minimum effort on Facebook’s part to prevent its platform from being used by people planning violence. It was reported that the platform was used by people who planned mass killings in Myanmar and the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
9. The 37-year-old made an appearance in a television interview on Sunday, where she explained, "Facebook's mission is to connect people all around the world."
10. She added, "When you have a system that you know can be hacked with anger, it's easier to provoke people into anger. And publishers are saying, 'Oh, if I do more angry, polarising, divisive content, I get more money.' Facebook has set up a system of incentives that is pulling people apart."

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