Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen, 37, told the Senate Science, Commerce and Technology subcommittee Oct. 5 that her former employer takes profits over safety, promoting divisions in American society, including promoting the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. “The result has been more division, more harm, more lies, more threats, and more combat. In some cases, this dangerous online talk has led to actual violence that actually harms and kills people,” Haugen told the U.S. Senate subcommittee. Haugen knows that Facebook and other tech companies are black boxes, not something figured out by non-tech savvy members of Congress. Hearing Haugen you’d think that the mere presence of Facebook brainwashed young-and-old alike into thinking or acting in dangerous ways. Haugen’s testimony sounded similar to Christine Blasey Ford, who testified against Associate Supreme Court Justice Bret Kavanaugh.
Blasey Ford’s testimony was used politically to sabotage Kavanaugh’s nomination, accusing him as a high school student of attempted rape at some murky party at a suburban home Haugen warned against Facebook causing undue harm to consumers promoting potential violence through its various apps. “During my time a Facebook, I came to realizes a devastating truth: Almost no one outside Facebook knows what happens inside Facebook,” Haugen told Congress, speaking in hyperbole and the most general terms. “The company intentionally hides vital information to the public, the U.S. government and from government around the world,” Haugen said, painting nefarious activity inside the Silicon Valley behemoth. Facebook and Twitter made a big mistake banning former President Donald Trump from the platform, citing the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
When you listen to Haugen, it’s easy to see how she exaggerates the harm Facebook causes to society, the same kind of argument given to certain TV shows, video games or other aspects of pop culture claimed to cause violence. Haugen, a former data scientist with Facebook, commented about the effect of the social network on society, claiming Congress doesn’t know what goes on inside the company. Congress also doesn’t know what goes on inside many businesses, something Haugen doesn’t consider. Facebook officials, including billionaire CEO Mark Zuckerberg, disagrees with Haugen’s analysis. “It’s disheartening to see that work taking out of context and used to construct a false narrative that we don’t care,” said Zuckerberg. Haugen’s charges are so vague, so general, so subjective that make no sense that the company places profits over public safety.
Haugen was especially critical of its posting on teenage girls, promoting body dysmorphic disorder, promoting certain images of fashionable bodies that, according to Haugen, promotes destructive personal images for teenage girls. When you consider society at large, all young-or-older people are subjected to Madison Aveue advertising that promotes thinness over more bulky body images. Haugen thinks Facebook cares only about profits not the well-being of teenage girls, something so preposterous, so off-the-wall, so overly nefarious. “It’s clear Facebook prioritizes profit over well-being of children and all users,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn, spewing useless platitudes about Facebook. “Facebook chooses to mislead and misdirect. Facebook has not earned our blind faith,” Haugen said, making no sense at all. Haugen wants Congress to jump to unwarranted conclusions.
Based on Haugen’s testimony, it’s clear that she has an ax to grind, much like Blasey Ford who allowed Congress to use her testimony to sabotage Kavanaugh’s nomination. Whatever happened with Haugen’s work as a data analysis, it’s clear that she’s exploited by members of Congress that have an ax to grind against Zuckerberg and the tech giant. Accusing Facebook of using an “algorithm” to addict young girls is preposterous, catering to the kind of paranoia that led Facebook and Twitter to ban former President Donald Trump. Whatever problems teenage girls have with anorexia or other eating disorders hand nothing to do with Facebook’s algorithms but the kindof normal development problems associated with teen years. Attributing some nefarious motive to Facebook does nothing to explain the kind of developmental problems that parents need to address with their children.
Congress needs to stop playing politics when it comes to hearing from so-called whistleblowers, where it’s about Facebook, Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh or former President Donald Trump. Using whistleblowers has morphed into another political witch hunt, exploited by he opposing parties to retaliate and score political points. Saying Facebook helps addict teenage girls to promote anorexia or other eating disorders is preposterous. Instead of blaming social networks, Congress should look at itself how it exploits various causes to advance political agenda. Whatever Haugen’s beef with Facebook, it shouldn’t waste time in Congress or be used to advance political agendas. Whistleblower laws must be changed to rule out political exploitation. Haugen’s statements to Congress are so self-serving they don’t deserve airtime.
