The former Facebook worker who accuses the company of betraying democracy affirmed this Tuesday before a congressional committee that the technology giant's tools
harm minors and increase polarization in the country
, in addition to the fact that the company prioritizes benefits to the safety of users.
During her appearance before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee for Consumer Protection, Frances Haugen insisted that the company knows that Instagram can harm teenagers and accused it of dishonesty in fighting hate and misinformation.
Former Facebook worker Frances Haugen prepares to testify before a congressional committee on the tech giant's practices on Oct. 5, 2021. Jabin Botsford / AP
Haugen confessed on Sunday, during an interview with the
60 Minutes
program
, that he was the person who leaked internal documentation about Facebook's practices to Congress and The Wall Street Journal, which led to a series of articles that raised a wave of criticism. .
"The company leaders know how to make Facebook and Instagram more secure, but
they are not making the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical benefits before people,"
said Haugen, who worked until this May in the Civic Integrity division.
An internal study noted that
13.5% of teenage girls say Instagram makes suicidal thoughts worse
and 17% of teenage girls say it makes eating disorders worse.
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"The company intentionally withholds vital information from the public, the United States government, and governments around the world," Haugen said.
"The documents I have provided to Congress demonstrate that
Facebook has repeatedly misled the public about what its own research
reveals about the safety of children, the effectiveness of its artificial intelligence systems, and its role in spreading divisive and extreme messages." added.
[Instagram is bad for teens and Facebook knows it]
Haugen, 37, is a computer engineer with an MBA from Harvard.
Facebook has 2,800 million users worldwide, its market value is around one trillion dollars.
With information from
AP