On October 5, Frances Haugen, a former data scientist at Facebook and whistleblower who disclosed tens of thousands of Facebook’s internal documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission, testified before a Senate committee, revealing that Facebook is fully aware of the harm it causes, such as intentionally targeting young children despite social media’s detrimental effects on mental health and stoking political division, all in pursuit of astronomical profits.
Her testimony was based on her time working for Facebook’s civic integrity division before leaving the company in May. She reported that Facebook’s leadership implemented a “structure of incentivization” that directed resources away from important safety programs, such as removing underage users and hate speech, to instead focus on platform changes that fuel growth. Haugen said that these efforts led to performance metrics that encouraged harm to mental health, and even violence.
Revelations from the documents have intensified growing concerns about Facebook’s involvement in the January 6 attack on the Capitol earlier this year. Prior to the testimony, an internal Facebook memo revealed that Haugen planned to accuse the company of turning off some election-related safety measures — such as limits on live video streaming — too soon after Election Day, resulting in a flood of misinformation and enabling groups to plan an organized attack on the Capitol...
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Club, a private city club that has operated for more than 150 years, has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve claims that it falsely represented its eligibility...