Facebook’s micro-targeting algorithms have been used to spread disinformation and sow distrust in democratic institutions around the world. It has a responsibility to act
Most of Facebook’s features are designed to maximise meaningful social Interaction, which means the algorithm promotes extreme content
There are strong reasons to doubt that competitive capitalism will fix social media networks
The social media giant has been battling a fresh crisis since former employee Frances Haugen leaked reams of internal studies showing executives knew of their sites’ potential for harm, prompting a renewed US push for regulation
New revelations by a whistleblower prove that the social media platform clearly understands its negative impact on society, but that profits are a greater lure than preserving democracy
This outage comes at a precarious time for Facebook, which is still navigating the fallout of whistleblower Frances Haugen accusing the company of prioritising profits over combating misinformation and hate
Ex-employee Frances Haugen is set to testify on Capitol Hill after she leaked reams of internal research to authorities and The Wall Street Journal, which detailed how Facebook knew its sites were potentially harmful to young people’s mental health