• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Adam Lambert got a job at Starbucks to buy makeup
  • Sir Elton John walks six miles a week in his swimming pool
  • Christine and the Queens hails pop icon Madonna

Facebook will fuel further unrest, whistleblower says

Towleroad October 25, 2021 Leave a Comment

Published by
Reuters
466102 origin 1

By Paul Sandle and Kate Holton

LONDON (Reuters) – Facebook will fuel more violent unrest around the world because of the way its algorithms are designed to promote divisive content, whistleblower Frances Haugen told the British parliament on Monday.

Haugen, a former product manager on Facebook’s civic misinformation team who has turned whistleblower, appeared before a parliamentary select committee in Britain that is examining plans to regulate social media companies.

She said the social network saw safety as a cost centre, lionised a start-up culture where cutting corners was good, and said it was “unquestionably” making hate worse.

“The events we’re seeing around the world, things like Myanmar and Ethiopia, those are the opening chapters because engagement-based ranking does two things: one, it prioritises and amplifies divisive and polarising extreme content and two it concentrates it,” she said.

Facebook declined to provide any immediate comment in response to Haugen’s appearance at the parliamentary committee.

Haugen in October told a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing that Facebook had devised ways to keep users scrolling even if it was detrimental to their wellbeing, putting profit before people.

She also said she provided the documents used in a Wall Street Journal investigation and a Senate hearing on Instagram’s harm to teenage girls. She compared the platform to addictive substances such as tobacco and opioids.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has hit back against Haugen’s accusations, saying earlier this month: “The argument that we deliberately push content that makes people angry for profit is deeply illogical.”

BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SEEKS TOUGHER LAWS

Before Monday’s hearing, Haugen met the country’s interior minister, Priti Patel, who advocates tougher legislation for tech platforms that fail to keep users safe.

Haugen is scheduled to speak at a major tech conference, the Web Summit, next week and in Brussels to European policymakers.

“Facebook has been unwilling to accept even little slivers of profit being sacrificed for safety, and that’s not acceptable,” she said on Monday, singling out Instagram’s impact on the mental health of some young users.

Britain is bringing forward laws that could fine social media companies up to 10% of their turnover if they fail to remove or limit the spread of illegal content, such as child sexual abuse.

Platforms such as Facebook will also need to do more to protect children from exposure to grooming, bullying and pornography, the government has said.

Reuters, along with other news organisations, viewed documents released to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Congress by Haugen.

They showed Facebook had known that it hadn’t hired enough workers who possessed both the language skills and knowledge of local events needed to identify objectionable posts from users in a number of developing countries.

(Editing by Keith Weir and Barbara Lewis)

466102 466102 origin 1 1

Topics: Aaon, towleroad

  • Sir Elton John walks six miles a week in his swimming pool

    Sir Elton John walks six miles a week in his swimming pool

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John got into shape for his tour by walking six miles a week in his swimming pool. The ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ started in 2018 and is due to …Read More »
  • Christine and the Queens hails pop icon Madonna

    Christine and the Queens hails pop icon Madonna

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Christine and the Queens thinks Madonna is the “most emblematic female voice” in the pop world. The 34-year-old singer worked with Madonna on his new album, ‘Paranoia, Angels, True Love’, and …Read More »
  • Transgender Woman Was Assaulted, Harassed And ‘Humiliated’ By A TSA Agent At JFK Airport

    Transgender Woman Was Assaulted, Harassed And ‘Humiliated’ By A TSA Agent At JFK Airport

    Published by Radar Online mega A transgender woman was harassed and assaulted by a TSA agent at JFK Airport. The victim was allegedly punched, humiliated and left in tears while crying out for help after her …Read More »
  • Kevin Bacon Praises ‘Wigloose: The Rusical’ Amid Anti-Drag Politics

    Kevin Bacon Praises ‘Wigloose: The Rusical’ Amid Anti-Drag Politics

    Published by uInterview.com As part of season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the drag queens put on a stunning show of Wigloose: The Rusical about the queens overcoming a small town that tries to ban drag. …Read More »
Previous Post: « Ex-Giuliani associate Parnas found guilty of violating U.S. campaign finance law
Next Post: A meme a day keeps the therapist away, study on pandemic stress shows »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • New WSJ poll shows bad news for Ron DeSantis’ ‘anti-woke’ agenda

    New WSJ poll shows bad news for Ron DeSantis’ ‘anti-woke’ agenda

  • Walter Cole aka: Darcelle, Guinness World Record holder for oldest drag queen performer, dies at 92

    Walter Cole aka: Darcelle, Guinness World Record holder for oldest drag queen performer, dies at 92

  • ‘Appalling’: UK police urged to stop strip-searching children

    ‘Appalling’: UK police urged to stop strip-searching children

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y'know

  • Harry Styles, Emily Ratajkowski And Olivia Wilde Spark ‘Throuple’ Chatter In Hollywood After Wild Make-Out Session Caught On Video

    Harry Styles, Emily Ratajkowski And Olivia Wilde Spark ‘Throuple’ Chatter In Hollywood After Wild Make-Out Session Caught On Video

  • Jennifer Aniston Recalls Cher Poking Fun At Her For Eating All The Cold Cuts In Her Home During Actress’ High School Days

    Jennifer Aniston Recalls Cher Poking Fun At Her For Eating All The Cold Cuts In Her Home During Actress’ High School Days

  • Tony Robinson recalls Miriam Margolyes ‘sexual encounter’: ‘You put your hand down my trousers’

    Tony Robinson recalls Miriam Margolyes ‘sexual encounter’: ‘You put your hand down my trousers’

RSS Partner Links

  • An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.

Most Recent

  • Adam Lambert got a job at Starbucks to buy makeup

    Adam Lambert got a job at Starbucks to buy makeup

  • Sir Elton John walks six miles a week in his swimming pool

    Sir Elton John walks six miles a week in his swimming pool

  • Christine and the Queens hails pop icon Madonna

    Christine and the Queens hails pop icon Madonna

  • Transgender Woman Was Assaulted, Harassed And ‘Humiliated’ By A TSA Agent At JFK Airport

    Transgender Woman Was Assaulted, Harassed And ‘Humiliated’ By A TSA Agent At JFK Airport

  • Kevin Bacon Praises ‘Wigloose: The Rusical’ Amid Anti-Drag Politics

    Kevin Bacon Praises ‘Wigloose: The Rusical’ Amid Anti-Drag Politics

  • Strong turnout in Cuba’s national legislative elections -government

    Strong turnout in Cuba’s national legislative elections -government

  • Tucker Carlson Backtracks After Claiming He ‘Passionately’ Hates Donald Trump: ‘I Love’ Him ‘As A Person’

    Tucker Carlson Backtracks After Claiming He ‘Passionately’ Hates Donald Trump: ‘I Love’ Him ‘As A Person’

  • Toothpaste tablets and syrup on tap: US refill shops cut the container

    Toothpaste tablets and syrup on tap: US refill shops cut the container

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

×