Former Facebook manager Frances Haugen warned in the US Senate of the negative effects of the online network on minors and society. “Facebook’s products harm our children, divide and weaken our democracy,” said Haugen on Tuesday before the subcommittee on trade and consumer protection in Washington.
She also accused her ex-employer of having failed to make changes out of greed for profit, although she wanted to know the damage that Instagram is doing to some young people. Therefore, the Congress must act, strict regulation is necessary. “They won’t solve this crisis without your help,” Haugen told the senators.
It is true that Facebook has publicly admitted that control mechanisms are necessary in the systems that increase user behavior. But the company has switched off some of the control functions, explained Haugen.
Division and agitation
The ex-product manager spent much of the hearing explaining to the senators her previous work on Facebook, which revolved around algorithms. These are very important for the group, as they control what appears on users’ news feeds. A change in the flow of information in 2018 led to more division, bad blood and agitation in the online network, which was once created to bring people closer together, said Haugen.
Despite the hostility that the new algorithms aroused, Facebook had come to the conclusion that they tempted users to log in again and again. This in turn has helped the online giant to boost its business with digital ads, which are the main sources of revenue for the company.
Allegations against Zuckerberg
She does not believe that her ex-employer was out to build a destructive platform. But “in the end, Mark is responsible,” said Haugen, referring to Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg. After all, he controls more than 50 percent of the voting rights. “There is currently no one who holds Mark accountable except himself.”
The subcommittee in the Senate is examining Facebook’s handling of information from internal research on possible harm to young users through the photo and video platform Instagram, especially for girls. According to research reports that Haugen has pierced, the peer pressure created by portraying apparently perfect bodies leads to psychological problems and an unhealthy body perception in young people. In some cases, eating disorders and even suicidal thoughts are the result. “Facebook knows they lead young users to anorexia content … It’s like cigarettes. Teenagers have no self-control. We have to protect the children.”
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