• Ar
  • Es
Al Mayadeen English
  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Feature
  • Videos
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Feature
Videos
Infographs
In Pictures
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Politics
  4. US Congress Moves Against Facebook
Politics

US Congress Moves Against Facebook

  • By Al Mayadeen
  • Source: Agencies
  • 5 Oct 2021 21:58
  • 1 Shares

Facebook receives a blow in the US Congress, as Frances Haugen, former Facebook official, reveals the number of children's accounts on the site.

  • Haugen: There are 600,000 accounts for children under the age of 13 on Facebook.
    Haugen: There are 600,000 accounts for children under the age of 13 on Facebook

Following a succession of damaging disclosures about the firm, a Facebook whistleblower who expressed concerns about numerous of the company's business operations testified before Congress on Tuesday.

Frances Haugen, a former Facebook project manager who leaked a vast collection of internal information to the Wall Street Journal, told a Senate subcommittee that Facebook "put their astronomical profits before people" and called on Congress to reign in the tech giant.

"We can have social media we enjoy, that connects us, without tearing our democracy apart, putting our children in danger, and sowing ethnic violence around the world," Haugen said.

"I believe in the potential of Facebook. We can have social media we enjoy, that connects us, without tearing apart our democracy, putting our children in danger, and sowing ethnic violence around the word. We can do better."

-Facebook whistleblower testifies before Congress pic.twitter.com/hC7kNj4ys1

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 5, 2021

The documents Haugen released revealed several explosive information about the company's growth strategies, including bids to market its products directly to children, documents highlighting the severity of the platform's public health misinformation crisis, and internal research that deemed its Instagram platform harmful to the mental health of young girls.

"The choices being made inside of Facebook are disastrous for our children, our public safety, or our privacy and for our democracy. And that is why we must demand Facebook to make changes," Haugen told senators on Tuesday.

Facebook hasn't explicitly rejected any of the Journal's reporting, but it has called the characterizations "misleading" and has strongly resisted them.

It is worth noting that on Monday Facebook and the platforms the social media giant acquired, Instagram and WhatsApp, were hit by a sudden massive outage that caused millions to lose access to Facebook's apps and products. 

  • US Congress
  • United States
  • Frances Haugen

Trending Now

All
US rights group asking Congress to investigate reports of military mining Muslim app data

Congress urged to investigate US military mining Muslim app data

US Senate advances China competition legislation

US Senate advances China competition legislation

Most Read

Belarus reveals mass executions of Iraqi refugees by Polish soldiers

Belarus reveals mass executions of Iraqi refugees by Polish soldiers

  • Europe
  • 22 Jun
Russian cruise missile "Kalibr"

Russian MoD: 50 Ukrainian officers killed in strike

  • Europe
  • 19 Jun
Texas could vote to secede from US in 2023.

Texas could vote to secede from US in 2023

  • US & Canada
  • 21 Jun
"Israel" is both against and for a deal, and can't admit it, US is drifting

"Israel" is both against and for a deal, and can't admit it, US is drifting

  • Analysis
  • 19 Jun

Read this

All
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 25, 2022
MENA

Iraq PM lands in Saudi in first stop in regional visit

  • Today
Turkey & US discuss NATO expansion, Ukrainian grain export
Europe

Turkey & US discuss NATO expansion, Ukrainian grain export

  • 25 Jun
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 25, 2022 (Sputnik)
Europe

Putin, Lukashenko discuss regional security, world fertilizer supply

  • Today
Ukrainian refugees in Budapest, Hungary
Europe

25,000 people evacuated from Ukraine, Donbass to Russia in past day

  • 25 Jun
Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS