More allegations emerge against Facebook

October 23, 2021

2 minutes read

A second whistleblower report against Facebook has advanced a new set of allegations about how the social media platform is doing its job.

A new affidavit filed by a former Facebook employee claims it rewards growth and profits for combating hate speech, disinformation and other threats to the public.

The allegations echo many of those made by Frances Hogan, a former Facebook employee whose testimony to Congress this month intensified bipartisan calls for federal action against the company.

reported newspaper For the first time, the Washington Post reports that the person is a former member of the company’s integrity team and says the company is putting profits ahead of efforts to combat hate speech and disinformation across its platform.

In the affidavit, the whistleblower alleges, among other things, that a former corporate communications official dismissed concerns about Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.

As the company sought to quell political debate during a critical period in 2017, the company’s chief communications officer, Tucker Pounds, allegedly said: “Some lawmakers may be upset.” But after a few weeks they move on to something else. While we get back to making money.

“My question about an alleged one-on-one conversation four years ago with an unidentified person, with no source other than the accusation itself, is strange to me,” Pounds, who is now vice president of communications, told the newspaper.

Facebook allowed illegal activity to continue unchecked

“This is a downfall for the Washington Post, which has competed fiercely with the New York Times for the past five years over how many corroborative sources its reporters can find for individual stories,” Facebook spokeswoman Erin McPeak said in a statement.

“This sets a dangerous precedent for pinning an entire story on a single source who makes a wide range of claims without any clear backing,” she added. We are a company and we make money. But the idea that we are doing this at the expense of people’s safety or well-being misunderstands where our business interests lie.

Bounds’ words represent a widespread position within the company regarding problematic content across the platform. Including illegal activity conducted in Facebook groups.

The affidavit goes on to allege that Facebook officials routinely undermine efforts to combat disinformation, hate speech and other problematic content. This was for fear of angering then-President Donald Trump and his political allies. Or out of concern about potentially stifling user growth and Facebook’s billion-dollar profits.

The affidavit alleged differences between the company’s public statements and internal decision-making in other areas.

They say the Internet.org project to connect people in the developing world had internal messages that the goal was to give the company a foothold. It also becomes the only source of news so you can collect data from untapped markets.

The former employee argues that the company’s senior leaders. Including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. Aware of the severity of problems within the company. But they failed to report it in the SEC filings available to investors.

The complaint also criticized Facebook for not acting sufficiently to address evidence that Myanmar military officials are using the platform to spread hate speech during the mass killings of the ethnic Rohingya minority.