Facebook group co-founder and boss Mark Zuckerberg defended his company on Tuesday, October 5, against accusations from a whistleblower, who told the US Congress that the social media giant was prioritizing its profits over security.
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“At the heart of these accusations is the idea that we prioritize profits over safety and well-being. This is simply not true ”, said Mark Zuckerberg in a lengthy post on his Facebook page.
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“They finance their profits with our security”
The whistleblower Frances Haugen called on the US Congress to strengthen the regulation of Facebook, which she accuses in particular of pushing adolescents to use its platforms more and more, at the risk of causing addiction.
“We still have time to act. But we have to do it now ”, urged Frances Haugen, an engineer who left Facebook in May after two years with the company, before members of the Senate Committee on Commerce. “Facebook should not be left free to choose growth, virality […] at the expense of public safety. […] They finance their profits with our security. “
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The hearing of this 37-year-old computer scientist came the day after a gigantic blackout, unprecedented in the history of the group, which decommissioned its four platforms, the social networks Facebook and Instagram, as well as the WhatsApp messaging and Messenger.
“Congress will act”
Senators immediately bounced off the whistleblower’s suggestions, with Democratic Senator Ed Markey messaging Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg: “Gone are the days when you invaded our privacy, promoted toxic content and used children and adolescents. Congress will act. “
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“You have been a catalyst for change like I have never seen before and I have been working on these subjects for ten or fifteen years”, commented Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal.
To support her allegations, the engineer relies on the two years she spent with the company and on the thousands of documents that she took with her in the spring.
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Already presented, in part, by the “Wall Street Journal” in mid-September, they show that Facebook researchers have highlighted the fact that some teenage Instagram users are even less comfortable with their bodies. than they were before.
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Responding to questions from senators, Frances Haugen described a company whose priority is “To attract young users” while being aware that some of them develop an addiction to Instagram or react badly to its content.