Read on to find out more about Haugen and some of the claims she made against the social network and tech giant in the interview.
Who Is the Facebook Whistleblower?
The Facebook whistleblower is a woman called Frances Haugen, aged 37. She is a former product manager on the Civic Integrity team at Facebook.
Haugen filed complaints with federal law enforcement against her former employer, claiming that Facebook’s research shows that the platform amplifies hate, misinformation, and political unrest—although the company hides that.
Haugen is a data scientist from Iowa, and holds a degree in Computer Engineering, as well as a Master’s degree in Business from Harvard. She has 15 years’ experience working for big tech companies like Google and Pinterest.
Here are some of the biggest claims made by Haugen in her recent 60 Minutes interview:
5 Claims Made by Frances Haugen on 60 Minutes
1. Facebook’s Algorithm Shows You Hateful and Divisive Content
Haugen claims that of all the content options Facebook can show you, the algorithm shows you content that is most likely to get a particular reaction from you—content that may incite violence or other extreme reactions or emotions.
2. Facebook Is Profiting From Showing You Hateful and Divisive Content
Haugen claims that the more you consume content that evokes anger or incites violence, the more profitable it is for Facebook.
3. Facebook Chooses Profit Over Safety
Haugen claims that Facebook continuously trades in users’ safety for its own gain by allowing dangerous content on its platform.
4. Facebook Is Lying to You About Its Fight Against Hate, Violence, and Misinformation
Haugen claims that Facebook turned on safety systems to reduce misinformation around the 2020 Election, but that many of those measures were temporary.
5. Instagram Is Harming Teenage Girls
As already widely reported, Haugen claims that Instagram is negatively impacting the teenagers using the social media app.
What Is the Way Forward for Facebook?
Haugen has made some bold claims about the way Facebook operates, and her lawyers have filed several complaints with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which enforces the law in financial markets.
In the meantime, Facebook has, unsurprisingly, released a statement denying the claims made by Haugen, saying it has invested significantly in keeping its platform safe. But this could yet prove to be a watershed moment, with Facebook forced to hold itself more to account.
