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Senator Richard Blumenthal has kicked off the listening to with opening statements, laying out the revelations about Facebook made public by Haugen and condemning the corporate for pursuing revenue above all else.
He famous one of many greatest bombshells from the paperwork – proof that Fb knew its merchandise had been harming youngsters and makes use of its algorithms “to amplify their insecurities”.
“Their revenue was extra essential than the ache that it precipitated,” he mentioned.
Blumenthal drew parallels between Fb and Huge Tobacco – a comparability various Senators have made within the wake of Haugen’s whistleblowing. He mentioned Huge Tech is going through its “Huge Tobacco second”.
“There may be documented proof that Fb is aware of its merchandise might be addictive and poisonous to youngsters, and it isn’t simply that they made cash – it’s that they valued their greater than the ache they precipitated to youngsters and their households,” he mentioned.
“The harm to self value, inflicted by Fb at this time will hang-out a technology,” he added. “Emotions of inadequacy and insecurity and rejection and self-hatred will influence this technology for years.”
Haugen mentioned Fb proved it might do extra to deal with its issues when it modified content material insurance policies for a number of weeks surrounding the 2020 US elections.
At the moment, she mentioned, the corporate intentionally gave a decrease precedence to political content material on its information feed. However it quickly went again to outdated algorithms that valued engagement over all else.
“These paperwork that you’ve got revealed supplied this firm with a blueprint for reform have supplied particular suggestions that would have made, Fb and Instagram safer,” Blumenthal mentioned.
“The corporate repeatedly ignored these suggestions from its personal researchers,” Blumenthal mentioned. “Fb, as you set it’s having so powerfully maximizes earnings and ignores ache.”
He submitted into proof a letter from 52 state attorneys common about the necessity to maintain Fb accountable.
Blumenthal additionally touted laws he has launched with Sen. Ed Markey. Known as the KIDS act, it would regulate the design of social platform to reduce hurt.
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