Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen went public on Sunday as the whistleblower who leaked a cache of internal documents to the Wall Street Journal.
In an interview with news program 60 Minutes, Haugen explained her decision to file complaints with US law enforcement and share with the Wall Street Journal proof that Facebook has willfully ignored its own internal research showing its products amplify hate and misinformation and stoke mental health issues in children.
“There were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook,” Haugen said. “And Facebook, over and over again, chose to optimize for its own interests, like making more money.”
Haugen said the evidence she collected before leaving Facebook in May showed the company is lying to the public that it is making significant progress against hate, violence and misinformation.
“The version of Facebook that exists today is tearing our societies apart and causing ethnic violence around the world,” she said.
Haugen said she was recruited to join Facebook in 2019, and agreed to take the job only if she could work to help the company combat misinformation.
Haugen has been called to testify before Congress about the studies and other information she has gleaned from her time at Facebook.
More details soon.
Source: Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen identifies herself as whistleblower