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Facebook headquarters in California (archive image)
Photo: JOSH EDELSON / AFP
Since the testimony of a whistleblower, the pressure on Facebook to get the flow of information on its platform under control during the corona crisis has grown.
In the United States, 14 state attorneys general have begun questioning Facebook about its dealings with spreaders of misinformation about coronavirus vaccines.
They are "extremely concerned" about the latest reports that the world's largest social network has lists of members who have received special treatment, it said in a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday.
The question is whether the top twelve main disseminators of disinformation related to the pandemic are on that list.
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the revelations of the former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, new algorithms are increasingly polarizing political camps out of pure profitability: their anger induces users to keep scrolling, which increases the reach of advertisers.
Facebook has set up a system for this that exempts high-profile users from the rules against targeted false claims about Covid-19 and vaccines.
Serious allegations from the ex-manager
Misinformation about the virus, treatment methods and vaccines quickly spread on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube during the corona pandemic.
Researchers and lawmakers have long accused Facebook of failing to control harmful content on its platforms.
The whistleblower Haugen had testified for around three hours in front of a committee of the US Congress last week - it was a statement from the former product manager.
"I believe that Facebook's products harm children, fuel divisions and weaken our democracy," said the 37-year-old: "Congress must act." Facebook leaders would not solve this crisis without the help of politics.
Parallels to the cigarette industry
Haugen accused Facebook at the congressional hearing of repeatedly misleading the public.
"I realized a terrifying truth: almost nobody outside of Facebook knows what is happening inside Facebook," said the data specialist.
“The company deliberately hides important information from the public, from the US government and from governments around the world.” This is why “full transparency” is important.
She drew parallels with the cigarette industry: "When we found out that the tobacco industry was covering up the damage it caused, the government acted."
Facebook has resolutely rejected the allegations, but has come under massive pressure as a result of the revelations.
There have been calls for stricter regulation of online platforms for years.
The intervention of the attorneys general is now also aimed in this direction.
jok / Reuters
