Whistleblower Frances Haugen calls Facebook danger to children and democracy

After more than three hours of testimony, the Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who has accused the company of deceiving users and investors and putting "profits before people," has adjourned.

While lawmakers battle it out over President Joe Biden’s agenda, they united on Tuesday to blast Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg’s silence on Haugen accusations, which raise alarms about the mental health of children and real-world dangers of hate speech she said Facebook knows it perpetuates but ignores. Lawmakers said she has provided hundreds of pages of documents of internal data to back her claims.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the subcommittee chair, closed by reading a text he said he received from a constituent who said he was in tears watching the hearing because, he said, he's seen first-hand how Instagram has changed his teenage daughter.

"'My 15-year-old daughter loved her body at 14. Was on Instagram constantly and maybe posting too much. Suddenly she started hating her body. Her body dysmorphia, now anorexia, and was in deep deep trouble before we found treatment. I fear she'll never be the same,'" Blumenthal said, quoting the father.

Haugen said "because of the nature of engagement-based ranking and amplification of interests," Facebook and Instagram users are "pushed towards extreme dieting and pro-anorexia content very rapidly" -- but that the algorithm perpetuating that could be changed.

After raising new allegations concerning Zuckerberg’s actions, national security concerns, and employee bonuses tied to a system shown to fuel misinformation, Haugen closed with a call to Congress to address Facebook’s growth and provide oversight as it’s historically done for other industries, like tobacco, in the past.

Saying that modern technological systems "walled off," Haugen also called on more whistleblowers with direct knowledge of wrongdoings in big tech to step forward.

"The fact we're being asked these false choices -- it's just an illustration of what happens when the real solutions are hidden inside of companies," she said. "We need more tech employees to come forward through legitimate channels, like the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) or Congress, to make sure that the public has the information they need in order to have technologies be human-centric, not computer central."

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., ranking member of the Senate subcommittee hearing testimony from the Facebook whistleblower on Tuesday, responded directly to a Facebook spokesperson after a compelling first round of testimony from Frances Haugen.

Andy Stone had tweeted earlier and pointed out that Haugen did not work on child safety or Instagram research issues. Haugen, who worked as a project data manager was assigned to Facebook's civic integrity group.

Blackburn blasted Stone to come before Congress himself.

"I will simply say this to Mr. Stone: If Facebook wants to discuss their targeting of children -- if they want to discuss their practices, privacy invasion or violations of the Children Online Privacy Act, I am extending to you an invitation to step forward, be sworn in and testify before this committee. We would be pleased to hear from you and welcome your testimony," she said.

Whistleblower Frances Haugen reiterated to the Senate panel that Facebook's own data raises the concerns she's presenting to them and that the platform has unprecedented access into people's lives worldwide.

"They shouldn't be allowed to keep secrets when people's lives are on the line," she said. "To be clear, if they make $40 billion a year, they have the resources to solve these problems. They're choosing not to solve them."

She also told lawmakers she thinks there should be greater consideration to age when it comes to using any social media after her 15 years in big tech, keeping the focus of her message on its harmful effects on kids.

"I strongly encourage raising age limits to 16 or 18 years old, based on looking at the data around, problematic use or addiction on the platform and Children's self-regulation issues," she said. 

She shared particular concern with Instagram, saying internal research shows the platform is "distinctly worse" than other social media platforms because, she said, "it’s about bodies and about comparing lifestyles."

After whistleblower Frances Haugen raised concerns around Facebook's resourcing of counterterrorism and teams intended to counter foreign influence, lawmakers opened the door to holding another hearing. 

"I believe Facebook's consistent understaffing of the counterespionage, information operations and counterterrorism teams is a national security issue, and I'm speaking to other parts of Congress about that," Haugen said.

Sen. Dan, Sullivan, R-Alaska, followed up, "So you're saying in essence that the platform, whether Facebook knows it or not, is being utilized by some of our adversaries in a way that helps push and promote their interests at the expense of America's?"

"Yes," she replied. "Facebook is very aware that this is happening on the platform, and I believe the fact that Congress doesn't get a report of exactly how many people are working on these things internally is unacceptable because you have a right to keep the American people safe."

“I have strong national security concerns about how Facebook operates today,” she added.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., then raised the possibility of holding a second hearing with Haugen on the issue and went on to thank her for her bravery and called for other whistleblowers to come forward.