Facebook Whistleblower s Testimony Builds Momentum for Tougher Tech Laws – WSJ

WASHINGTON Facebook Inc. FB 2.06% whistleblower Frances Haugen testified to Congress Tuesday on internal documents showing harms from the company s products from teenagers mental-health problems to poisoned political debate adding fuel to efforts to pass tougher regulations on Big Tech.

The documents gathered by Ms. Haugen, which provided the foundation for The Wall Street Journal s Facebook Files series, show how the company s moderation rules favor elitesits algorithms foster discorddrug cartels and human traffickers use its services openly.

I saw Facebook repeatedly encounter conflicts between its own profit and our safety. Facebook consistently resolved these conflicts in favor of its own profits, Ms. Haugen told a Senate consumer protection subcommittee. As long as Facebook is operating in the shadows, hiding its research from public scrutiny, it is unaccountable. Until the incentives change, Facebook will not change.

via www.wsj.com