Facebook “has repeatedly misled the public.”

That’s according to a whistleblower — Frances Haugen — who testified before Congress TODAY following her release of thousands of internal company documents and a series of damning reports about Facebook in The Wall Street Journal.

Thanks to Haugen, we are all learning even more about long-suspected, real-world consequences of deliberate choices Facebook has made in its seemingly unquenchable thirst for profits.

Haugen’s testimony and the documents she made public show that the company knows its products (which include Instagram and WhatsApp along with Facebook itself):
Again and again, however, Facebook has declined to take steps it knows could counteract those problems — out of fear that doing so would impede profits — while simultaneously keeping secret vital information that would enable policymakers to act.

As Haugen noted during her congressional testimony today, “The company’s leadership keeps vital information from the public, the U.S. government, its shareholders, and governments around the world.”

We are calling on Facebook to do three things right away:

1. Release internal research related to how its products impact individuals and societies.

2. Stop programming its algorithms to intentionally boost hateful, violent, and anti-democratic content.

3. Permanently end its plans to launch a version of Instagram for teenagers (the company has so far only temporarily paused those plans).

Tell Facebook:

Release the internal research related to how your products impact individuals and societies. Stop programming your algorithms to intentionally boost hateful, violent, and anti-democratic content. And permanently end your plans to launch a version of Instagram for teenagers.

Add your name now.

Thanks for taking action.

For accountability and progress,

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen
 
 
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