A bipartisan coalition of U.S. state attorneys general have opened a probe into Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, for promoting its subsidiary Instagram to children despite potential harms.

US state law officer launches probe into potential harms of Instagram on kids

Facebook is in the headlines yet again. This time for advertising misleading and false claims about climate change during the COP26 summit.

It comes after conservative media network Newsmax ran an ad on Facebook that called man-made global warming a "hoax."

The advertisement, which had 200,000 views, had multiple versions. In one of them, "modern doomsayers" are condemned for wrongly predicting climate crises for decades.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-begins-rolling-out-november-2021-core-update-at-an-unusual-time-430280" hreflang="en">Google begins rolling out November 2021 core update at an unusual time</a>

Fossil fuel companies and lobbying groups spent $574,000 on "greenwashing" as per UK-based think-tank InfluenceMap.&nbsp;

"While ads like these run across many platforms, Facebook offers an extra layer of transparency by requiring them to be available to the public in our Ad Library for up to seven years after publication," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.

Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer said We continually reevaluate what the state of the world is and what is our role, which starts with trying to allow people free expression, and then intervening when there are harms happening that we can prevent."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/apple-finally-gives-in-to-right-to-repair-movement-allows-users-to-self-repair-iphones-macs-430137" hreflang="en">Apple finally gives in to ‘right to repair’ movement, allows users to self-repair iPhones, Macs</a>

Facebook is already facing stinging criticism after whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed that the company knew its Instagram photo app had the potential to harm teen mental health.

Faced with a barrage of bad publicity due to Haugen's revelations, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had announced that the company will now be called Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to reflect what CEO Mark Zuckerberg said&nbsp;is its commitment to developing the new surround-yourself technology known as the “ metaverse.”

Skeptics have accused the company of trying to change the subject from the Facebook Papers, the trove of leaked documents that have plunged it into the biggest crisis since it was founded in Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room 17 years ago.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Facebook is in the headlines yet again. This time for advertising misleading and false claims about climate change during the COP26 summit. It comes after conservative media network Newsmax ran an ad on Facebook that called man-made global warming a "hoax.

Facebook is in the headlines yet again. This time for advertising misleading and false claims about climate change during the COP26 summit. It comes after conservative media network Newsmax ran an ad on Facebook that called man-made global warming a "hoax." The advertisement, which had 200,000 views, had multiple versions. In one of them, "modern doomsayers" are condemned for wrongly predicting climate crises for decades. Also read | Google begins rolling out November 2021 core update at an unusual time Fossil fuel companies and lobbying groups spent $574,000 on "greenwashing" as per UK-based think-tank InfluenceMap. "While ads like these run across many platforms, Facebook offers an extra layer of transparency by requiring them to be available to the public in our Ad Library for up to seven years after publication," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer said We continually reevaluate what the state of the world is and what is our role, which starts with trying to allow people free expression, and then intervening when there are harms happening that we can prevent." Also read | Apple finally gives in to ‘right to repair’ movement, allows users to self-repair iPhones, Macs Facebook is already facing stinging criticism after whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed that the company knew its Instagram photo app had the potential to harm teen mental health. Faced with a barrage of bad publicity due to Haugen's revelations, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had announced that the company will now be called Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to reflect what CEO Mark Zuckerberg said is its commitment to developing the new surround-yourself technology known as the “ metaverse.” Skeptics have accused the company of trying to change the subject from the Facebook Papers, the trove of leaked documents that have plunged it into the biggest crisis since it was founded in Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room 17 years ago. (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook advertisers promoted false claims about climate change during COP26 summit

In a video, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg looks to feel the objects in virtual reality with the help of a “haptic glove” and VR headset.&nbsp;Zuckerberg tried to experience the new world in the clip posted on Tuesday. &nbsp;

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The company seems to be on the path for developing the new VR-powered metaverse. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jp-morgan-sues-tesla-ceo-elon-musk-for-his-flagrantly-ignorant-tweets-430032" hreflang="en">JP Morgan sues Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his 'flagrantly' ignorant tweets</a>

Zuckerberg played roll dice, Jenga and Chess, shook&nbsp;hands and tried fist-bump. “To enable this experience and bring touch to the metaverse, the team is developing haptic gloves: comfortable and customisable gloves that can reproduce a range of sensations in virtual worlds, including texture, pressure and vibration,” said a news release from Meta. &nbsp;

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With hundreds of tiny motors, the glove has been designed to deliver a simulated sensation of touch. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/apple-finally-gives-in-to-right-to-repair-movement-allows-users-to-self-repair-iphones-macs-430137" hreflang="en">Apple finally gives in to ‘right to repair’ movement, allows users to self-repair iPhones, Macs</a>

Not just this, the glove can also help to lock the hand in a certain position so that it can simulate activities, such as holding a ball in the virtual world. &nbsp;

The gloves give a sensation, such as texture, pressure and vibration to recreate the object that the person visualises through the virtual reality, as per Meta. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In a video, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg looks to feel the objects in virtual reality with the help of a “haptic glove” and VR headset. Zuckerberg tried to experience the new world in the clip posted on Tuesday.

In a video, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg looks to feel the objects in virtual reality with the help of a “haptic glove” and VR headset. Zuckerberg tried to experience the new world in the clip posted on Tuesday. × The company seems to be on the path for developing the new VR-powered metaverse. Also Read: JP Morgan sues Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his 'flagrantly' ignorant tweets Zuckerberg played roll dice, Jenga and Chess, shook hands and tried fist-bump. “To enable this experience and bring touch to the metaverse, the team is developing haptic gloves: comfortable and customisable gloves that can reproduce a range of sensations in virtual worlds, including texture, pressure and vibration,” said a news release from Meta. × With hundreds of tiny motors, the glove has been designed to deliver a simulated sensation of touch. Also Read: Apple finally gives in to ‘right to repair’ movement, allows users to self-repair iPhones, Macs Not just this, the glove can also help to lock the hand in a certain position so that it can simulate activities, such as holding a ball in the virtual world. The gloves give a sensation, such as texture, pressure and vibration to recreate the object that the person visualises through the virtual reality, as per Meta. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Facebook founder Zuckerberg tries to feel objects in virtual reality with haptic glove, VR headset  

Facebook has revealed that hackers from Pakistan used its platform to target Afghan citizens at a time when the Taliban was taking control of the country.

Facebook reveals hackers from Pakistan used its platform to target Afghan citizens

An Indian-American entrepreneur hired a woman to slap him every time he logs on to the social media platform, Facebook.<o:p></o:p>

Maneesh Sethi is the founder of a wearable device brand Pavlok and did not want to waste time on Facebook. To control his urges and make sure he utilises his time, he had put out an advertisement on Craigslist in 2012 in which he had offered to pay $8 for an hour to someone who could stop him from spending his time on Facebook.<o:p></o:p>

"When I am wasting time, you’ll have to yell at me or if need be, slap me," the advertisement had read.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/this-country-has-made-it-illegal-for-bosses-to-call-employees-after-office-hours-428679">This country has made it illegal for bosses to call employees after office hours</a></o:p>

That advertisement has resurfaced on the internet again and SpaceX owner, Elon Musk, reacted to it with two fire emojis. After Musk commented on the advertisement, the popularity of the post skyrocketed and even reached back to Sethi.<o:p></o:p>

He could not believe that Musk had commented on his advertisement and replied to Tesla owner's tweet saying, "I'm the guy in this picture. Is @elonmusk giving me two emojis the highest I'll ever reach? Is this my icarus flying too close to the sun moment? Was that implied by the fire symbols elon posted? Time will tell."

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Since 2012, Sethi has given due credit to Kara, the woman hired to slap him, for improving his productivity rate. "My average productivity runs around 35-40% on most days. When Kara sat next to me, my productivity skyrocketed to 98%," he had explained in a blog post.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Inspired by his own struggle, Sethi also came up with the idea of a wearable device that helps increase productivity. Sethi explained that the device "delivers an electric zap and positive sensations to reward good habits and break bad ones".<o:p></o:p>

An Indian-American entrepreneur hired a woman to slap him every time he logs on to the social media platform, Facebook. Maneesh Sethi is the founder of a wearable device brand Pavlok and did not want to waste time on Facebook.

An Indian-American entrepreneur hired a woman to slap him every time he logs on to the social media platform, Facebook. Maneesh Sethi is the founder of a wearable device brand Pavlok and did not want to waste time on Facebook. To control his urges and make sure he utilises his time, he had put out an advertisement on Craigslist in 2012 in which he had offered to pay $8 for an hour to someone who could stop him from spending his time on Facebook. "When I am wasting time, you’ll have to yell at me or if need be, slap me," the advertisement had read. Also read | This country has made it illegal for bosses to call employees after office hours That advertisement has resurfaced on the internet again and SpaceX owner, Elon Musk, reacted to it with two fire emojis. After Musk commented on the advertisement, the popularity of the post skyrocketed and even reached back to Sethi. He could not believe that Musk had commented on his advertisement and replied to Tesla owner's tweet saying, "I'm the guy in this picture. Is @elonmusk giving me two emojis the highest I'll ever reach? Is this my icarus flying too close to the sun moment? Was that implied by the fire symbols elon posted? Time will tell." 🔥🔥 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 10, 2021 × Since 2012, Sethi has given due credit to Kara, the woman hired to slap him, for improving his productivity rate. "My average productivity runs around 35-40% on most days. When Kara sat next to me, my productivity skyrocketed to 98%," he had explained in a blog post. Inspired by his own struggle, Sethi also came up with the idea of a wearable device that helps increase productivity. Sethi explained that the device "delivers an electric zap and positive sensations to reward good habits and break bad ones".

Indian-American hired woman to slap him for using Facebook; Elon Musk approves

Various healthcare professionals have urged social media giant Facebook to disclose all of the data related to COVID-19 disinformation that is available on the platform.

Various healthcare professionals have urged social media giant Facebook to disclose all of the data related to COVID-19 disinformation that is available on the platform. In a letter addressed to the company, now under the parent name Meta, the doctors wrote, "Facebook had become “cesspools of anti-vaccine comments” that created “a huge problem” that the company needed to fix". The letter further read, "This deception must end now. So many deaths could have been prevented, and we must act with haste to prevent more, particularly with vaccines becoming imminently available for young children. We simply cannot afford another deadly round of covid and vaccine misinformation." The letter by Doctors For America was signed by over 500 healthcare professionals. This includes medical professors at New York University, Columbia University and Johns Hopkins Medicine. Also read | Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg should step down, says whistleblower Frances Haugen The doctors emphasised how technological platforms like Facebook have a moral and civic duty to limit the spread of health disinformation. "Facebook must take immediate, urgent action to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 disinformation on its platforms. Facebook must disclose all data about the scope, reach, and content of this disinformation and its impact on users for evaluation by independent public health researchers," the doctors urged. This comes after a whistleblower leaked internal company documents. The ex-Facebook employee, Frances Haugen leaked tens of thousands of internal documents, which give details about the company’s struggles with user safety and misinformation. Haugen also criticised Zuckerberg’s “unconscionable” decision to invest in metaverse concepts rather than solving its issues. When asked if Zuckerberg should step down, Haugen said, “I think Facebook will be stronger with someone, who is willing to focus on safety, so yes.”

'Cesspools of anti-vaccine comments': Doctors urge Facebook to reveal data on COVID-19 misinformation

One of Mark Zuckerberg’s first steps toward building the metaverse may be physical instead of virtual.

Meta, the social media company formerly known as Facebook, has discussed opening retail stores that will eventually span the world, said people with knowledge of the project and company documents viewed by The New York Times. The stores would be used to introduce people to devices made by the company’s Reality Labs division, such as virtual reality headsets and, eventually, augmented reality glasses, they said.

These devices are gateways to the metaverse, a futuristic digital world where people move from virtual to augmented versions of reality almost seamlessly. Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and CEO, last week renamed his company Meta and laid out a vision for pursuing the metaverse as the next social platform. The stores would help show people that virtual reality and augmented reality can be fun and exciting, exactly the way Zuckerberg sees it.

The aim of the stores is to make the world “more open and connected,” according to the company documents viewed by The Times. They are also intended to spark emotions like “curiosity, closeness,” as well as a sense of feeling “welcomed” while experimenting with headsets in a “judgment free journey,” according to the documents.

Discussions about physical stores predated Facebook’s rebranding by many months, with serious work on the initiative having started last year, the people said. And the project, which is still in development, may not proceed, they said. But if Meta moves forward with stores, it would be a first for a tech giant that has existed largely digitally, with more than 3.5 billion people using its apps such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

A Meta spokeswoman declined to comment.

Zuckerberg has talked up the metaverse as his company grapples with regulatory and societal challenges. Frances Haugen, a former employee turned whistleblower, amassed thousands of pages of internal documents and recently shared them with lawmakers and the news media. She has said that Facebook was not doing enough to protect society from the harms it causes. Her disclosures have drawn scrutiny from legislators and regulators, though it is unclear how strong her case is.

Skepticism about the metaverse also abounds. While Meta’s Reality Labs division has had modest past success with the Oculus Quest 2, a low-priced headset that was popular last year, virtual reality remains a niche market for hobbyists and enthusiasts. The hardware is often costly and can be difficult to use. Some people have reported that the headsets nauseate them.

“We are, at best guess, at least five to 10 years out from a fully fleshed out Meta product or service,” said Tim Derdenger, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. He said what Meta was working on was akin to the computer game Second Life from the early 2000s, calling it “a second shot at a Second Life-like service, but that is hopefully more immersive.”

Still, Zuckerberg has said he sees the moment to build what he believes will be the next major shift in computing platforms since the smartphone era. In that future, Zuckerberg’s apps would no longer be beholden to the rules dictated by Apple and Google, which own the app stores that distribute Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

Technology companies have gone the brick-and-mortar path before. Gateway, a personal-computer maker, had its own stores in the 1990s. Apple has retail stores so people can test out devices and get their questions answered. Microsoft, Amazon and others have followed with their own stores as well.

In recent years, Meta had experimented with some physical retail efforts. It opened “pop-up” kiosks at airports and a pop-up store in Manhattan’s SoHo district to show its Oculus hardware products. It also had a pop-up location with Macy’s in 2018, with the aim of bringing more small business onto the platform.

Should Meta’s new stores proceed, they would feature products such as Portal devices — teleconferencing gadgets that let people video chat over Facebook — as well as the Oculus headsets, the company documents said. The stores could also include voice-activated sunglasses that Meta developed with Ray-Ban, which people can use to take photos and video.

Early designs for Meta’s stores appeared modern, with a flat, minimalist aesthetic to the building exteriors and subtle placement of the Facebook brand, according to the documents. The company considered naming its stores Facebook Hub, Facebook Commons, Facebook Innovations, Facebook Reality Store and From Facebook, before eventually settling on the Facebook Store as a leading candidate, the documents said.

It was unclear how the Meta rebranding would affect the naming of the stores. Andrew Bosworth, a longtime Facebook executive who will become Meta’s chief technology officer, said last week that the Oculus brand would be discontinued and replaced by the Meta name. The Oculus Quest will become the Meta Quest, while the Facebook Portal will be rebranded the Meta Portal, he said.

The flagship Facebook Store had been planned for Burlingame, California, where Meta has an office for its Reality Labs employees. It was also unclear whether those plans would continue.

One of Mark Zuckerberg’s first steps toward building the metaverse may be physical instead of virtual. Meta, the social media company formerly known as Facebook, has discussed opening retail stores that will eventually span the world, said people with knowledge of the project and company documents viewed by The New York Times.

One of Mark Zuckerberg’s first steps toward building the metaverse may be physical instead of virtual. Meta, the social media company formerly known as Facebook, has discussed opening retail stores that will eventually span the world, said people with knowledge of the project and company documents viewed by The New York Times. The stores would be used to introduce people to devices made by the company’s Reality Labs division, such as virtual reality headsets and, eventually, augmented reality glasses, they said. These devices are gateways to the metaverse, a futuristic digital world where people move from virtual to augmented versions of reality almost seamlessly. Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and CEO, last week renamed his company Meta and laid out a vision for pursuing the metaverse as the next social platform. The stores would help show people that virtual reality and augmented reality can be fun and exciting, exactly the way Zuckerberg sees it. The aim of the stores is to make the world “more open and connected,” according to the company documents viewed by The Times. They are also intended to spark emotions like “curiosity, closeness,” as well as a sense of feeling “welcomed” while experimenting with headsets in a “judgment free journey,” according to the documents. Discussions about physical stores predated Facebook’s rebranding by many months, with serious work on the initiative having started last year, the people said. And the project, which is still in development, may not proceed, they said. But if Meta moves forward with stores, it would be a first for a tech giant that has existed largely digitally, with more than 3.5 billion people using its apps such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. A Meta spokeswoman declined to comment. Zuckerberg has talked up the metaverse as his company grapples with regulatory and societal challenges. Frances Haugen, a former employee turned whistleblower, amassed thousands of pages of internal documents and recently shared them with lawmakers and the news media. She has said that Facebook was not doing enough to protect society from the harms it causes. Her disclosures have drawn scrutiny from legislators and regulators, though it is unclear how strong her case is. Skepticism about the metaverse also abounds. While Meta’s Reality Labs division has had modest past success with the Oculus Quest 2, a low-priced headset that was popular last year, virtual reality remains a niche market for hobbyists and enthusiasts. The hardware is often costly and can be difficult to use. Some people have reported that the headsets nauseate them. “We are, at best guess, at least five to 10 years out from a fully fleshed out Meta product or service,” said Tim Derdenger, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. He said what Meta was working on was akin to the computer game Second Life from the early 2000s, calling it “a second shot at a Second Life-like service, but that is hopefully more immersive.” Still, Zuckerberg has said he sees the moment to build what he believes will be the next major shift in computing platforms since the smartphone era. In that future, Zuckerberg’s apps would no longer be beholden to the rules dictated by Apple and Google, which own the app stores that distribute Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. Technology companies have gone the brick-and-mortar path before. Gateway, a personal-computer maker, had its own stores in the 1990s. Apple has retail stores so people can test out devices and get their questions answered. Microsoft, Amazon and others have followed with their own stores as well. In recent years, Meta had experimented with some physical retail efforts. It opened “pop-up” kiosks at airports and a pop-up store in Manhattan’s SoHo district to show its Oculus hardware products. It also had a pop-up location with Macy’s in 2018, with the aim of bringing more small business onto the platform. Should Meta’s new stores proceed, they would feature products such as Portal devices — teleconferencing gadgets that let people video chat over Facebook — as well as the Oculus headsets, the company documents said. The stores could also include voice-activated sunglasses that Meta developed with Ray-Ban, which people can use to take photos and video. Early designs for Meta’s stores appeared modern, with a flat, minimalist aesthetic to the building exteriors and subtle placement of the Facebook brand, according to the documents. The company considered naming its stores Facebook Hub, Facebook Commons, Facebook Innovations, Facebook Reality Store and From Facebook, before eventually settling on the Facebook Store as a leading candidate, the documents said. It was unclear how the Meta rebranding would affect the naming of the stores. Andrew Bosworth, a longtime Facebook executive who will become Meta’s chief technology officer, said last week that the Oculus brand would be discontinued and replaced by the Meta name. The Oculus Quest will become the Meta Quest, while the Facebook Portal will be rebranded the Meta Portal, he said. The flagship Facebook Store had been planned for Burlingame, California, where Meta has an office for its Reality Labs employees. It was also unclear whether those plans would continue.

To build the metaverse, Meta first wants to build stores

Facebook has announced that it is shutting down its Face Recognition system and will delete the facial data of more than one billion of its users.

Why Facebook is planning to shut down its facial recognition system?

Facebook has announced that it is deleting about 1 billion face prints, it uses as a part of a facial recognition system, citing concerns over technology.

Facebook shuts down automatic face recognition, says 'concerns outweigh benefits'

Facebook is battling an onslaught of false news, hate speech, and provocative content, including "celebrations of violence," among other things.

According to research, misinformation and scepticism about COVID-19 and vaccinations have been permitted to propagate on more than a dozen Facebook and Instagram profiles, sites, and groups, which have accumulated 370,000 followers in the last year.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | Gravitas: Facebook renamed to Meta: Reform or farce?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-facebook-renamed-to-meta-reform-or-farce-425144/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Posts in Facebook groups claiming that children are being "murdered by the experimental jab they're being pressured to take" and an Instagram account promoting a documentary by Andrew Wakefield, one of the key figures in promoting discredited links between MMR inoculation and autism, are among the misinformation and promotion of vaccine hesitancy.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-struggling-to-identify-multiple-account-holders-report-423274">Also read | Facebook struggling to identify multiple account holders: Report</a>

NewsGuard, an organisation that monitors internet disinformation, has been tracking the 20 accounts, pages, and groups.

At the World Health Organization's request, NewsGuard has been submitting frequent alerts to the WHO since September last year, highlighting social media sites and other digital platforms that are propagating misleading information on COVID-19.&nbsp;

The attorneys general of 14 US states issued a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in October, asking if the platform's top disseminators of vaccination misinformation deserved special treatment.

The investigation was sparked after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed that the social media giant has established a mechanism that exempts high-profile users from some or all of its regulations using internal papers.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Facebook is battling an onslaught of false news, hate speech, and provocative content, including "celebrations of violence," among other things. According to research, misinformation and scepticism about COVID-19 and vaccinations have been permitted to propagate on more than a dozen Facebook and Instagram profiles, sites, and groups, which have accumulated 370,000 followers in the last year.

Facebook is battling an onslaught of false news, hate speech, and provocative content, including "celebrations of violence," among other things. According to research, misinformation and scepticism about COVID-19 and vaccinations have been permitted to propagate on more than a dozen Facebook and Instagram profiles, sites, and groups, which have accumulated 370,000 followers in the last year. Watch | Gravitas: Facebook renamed to Meta: Reform or farce? Posts in Facebook groups claiming that children are being "murdered by the experimental jab they're being pressured to take" and an Instagram account promoting a documentary by Andrew Wakefield, one of the key figures in promoting discredited links between MMR inoculation and autism, are among the misinformation and promotion of vaccine hesitancy. Also read | Facebook struggling to identify multiple account holders: Report NewsGuard, an organisation that monitors internet disinformation, has been tracking the 20 accounts, pages, and groups. At the World Health Organization's request, NewsGuard has been submitting frequent alerts to the WHO since September last year, highlighting social media sites and other digital platforms that are propagating misleading information on COVID-19. The attorneys general of 14 US states issued a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in October, asking if the platform's top disseminators of vaccination misinformation deserved special treatment. The investigation was sparked after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed that the social media giant has established a mechanism that exempts high-profile users from some or all of its regulations using internal papers. (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook is failing to safeguard users from COVID-19 disinformation: Research

Whistleblower Frances Haugen has denounced the recent Facebook's Meta rebranding urging her former boss Mark Zuckerberg to step down. She has accused the company of yet again prioritising expansion over people's safety.

Whistleblower Frances Haugen denounces Facebook's Meta rebranding

In a call for Mark Zuckerberg to step down, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said the business will be better off with a leader, who focuses on user safety. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The whistleblower delivered the strongest call for guard change at the social media giant. &nbsp;

Facebook’s parent company, which rebranded to Meta last week, is unlikely to change if its founder remains in-charge, said Haugen. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-wealthier-than-entire-pakistans-gdp-425852" hreflang="en">Tesla CEO Elon Musk wealthier than entire Pakistan’s GDP</a>

The ex-Facebook employee, who leaked tens of thousands of internal documents, which give details about the company’s struggles with user safety and misinformation was speaking at the Web Summit in Lisbon. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Haugen has also criticised Zuckerberg’s “unconscionable” decision to invest in metaverse concept rather than solving its issues. &nbsp;

When asked if Zuckerberg should step down, Haugen said, “I think Facebook will be stronger with someone, who is willing to focus on safety, so yes.” &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-is-failing-to-safeguard-users-from-covid-19-disinformation-research-425995">Facebook is failing to safeguard users from COVID-19 disinformation: Research</a>

“Mark holds 54% of the voting shares in Facebook. He is the chairman and the CEO, and I think that at a minimum the shareholders have the right to actually choose their CEO. And so, I think it is unlikely the company will change if he remains the CEO,” said Haugen. &nbsp;

“And I hope that he can see that there is so much good he could do in the world, and maybe it’s a chance for someone else to maybe take the reins.” &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In a call for Mark Zuckerberg to step down, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said the business will be better off with a leader, who focuses on user safety.

In a call for Mark Zuckerberg to step down, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said the business will be better off with a leader, who focuses on user safety. The whistleblower delivered the strongest call for guard change at the social media giant. Facebook’s parent company, which rebranded to Meta last week, is unlikely to change if its founder remains in-charge, said Haugen. Also Read: Tesla CEO Elon Musk wealthier than entire Pakistan’s GDP The ex-Facebook employee, who leaked tens of thousands of internal documents, which give details about the company’s struggles with user safety and misinformation was speaking at the Web Summit in Lisbon. Haugen has also criticised Zuckerberg’s “unconscionable” decision to invest in metaverse concept rather than solving its issues. When asked if Zuckerberg should step down, Haugen said, “I think Facebook will be stronger with someone, who is willing to focus on safety, so yes.” Also Read | Facebook is failing to safeguard users from COVID-19 disinformation: Research “Mark holds 54% of the voting shares in Facebook. He is the chairman and the CEO, and I think that at a minimum the shareholders have the right to actually choose their CEO. And so, I think it is unlikely the company will change if he remains the CEO,” said Haugen. “And I hope that he can see that there is so much good he could do in the world, and maybe it’s a chance for someone else to maybe take the reins.” (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg should step down, says whistleblower Frances Haugen

Mark Zuckerberg has renamed Facebook to Meta in an effort to distract users from privacy concerns and data theft. The new Facebook will apparently focus on the Metaverse. Palki Sharma explains this cutting-edge technology and what it means for you.

Gravitas: Facebook renamed to Meta: Reform or farce?

Facebook changes its corporate name to Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg: The metaverse is coming. Facebook whistleblower: Company is making hate worse. Facebook faces a public relations crisis. Is the metaverse rollout a distraction?

Meta: Why has Facebook changed its name? | Tech It Out

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announced rebranding of the social media platform in a live streaming session on Thursday.&nbsp;"Facebook is now&nbsp;Meta," he announced.

"We've learned a lot from struggling with&nbsp;social issues&nbsp;and living under closed platforms, and now it is time to take everything that we've learned and help build the next chapter," Zuckerberg said, but added that all apps and their brands will remain the same.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-is-now-meta-says-mark-zuckerberg-changes-company-name-424860">Facebook is now Meta, says Mark Zuckerberg, changes company name</a>

Zuckerberg slipped in the information while explaining the Facebook users about the platform's&nbsp;vision for the metaverse in a live streaming session.

Through this the social media platform is "helping to build the metaverse, a place where we’ll play and connect in 3D," Facebook's official Twitter handle explained.

This announcement comes at a time when several former employees are coming forward in forma of whistleblower and making claims about the social media platform's negligence towards misinformation, security issues, fake news and more.

While Facebook was excited to show off their rebranded company, several people expressed their anger over this change of name and lashed out at Zuckerberg, claiming that the problems in the company will not fade away through rebranding.

Twitter users logged in to shower Mark Zuckerberg with their sets of memes and jokes about the new name, 'Meta'.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAK</a> Facebook's new company name is Meta 
 
It still has all the same problems it had this morning. <a href="https://t.co/3AROaibCeU">pic.twitter.com/3AROaibCeU</a>
— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) <a href="https://twitter.com/donie/status/1453788294160990216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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How to fix a company: simply change your name<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Facebook?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Facebook</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meta</a> <a href="https://t.co/3fVL1vHeUR">pic.twitter.com/3fVL1vHeUR</a>
— Jack O'Connor (@itsjackoconnor) <a href="https://twitter.com/itsjackoconnor/status/1453789382784262144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Can't have problems with Facebook if the company isn't called Facebook <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meta</a> <a href="https://t.co/AdZvrD1bWi">pic.twitter.com/AdZvrD1bWi</a>
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) <a href="https://twitter.com/LukeSmithF1/status/1453796399783596033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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At least the new Facebook rebrand is accurate <a href="https://t.co/5hiyEzMndV">pic.twitter.com/5hiyEzMndV</a>
— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) <a href="https://twitter.com/TechnicallyRon/status/1453794952182370308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Meta accomplishes only one thing. It allows Mark Zuckerberg to say he’s not the CEO of Facebook. 
 
He will now do less controversial things like build a new virtual universe where he can be king. 
 
While running Facebook.
— Andy Slavitt 🇺🇸💉 (@ASlavitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/1453795679059513348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Hey. <a href="https://t.co/axAbzsW86I">pic.twitter.com/axAbzsW86I</a>
— Matthews Martins (@helloimatthews) <a href="https://twitter.com/helloimatthews/status/1453795387953778692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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There it is. It’s official. Facebook has a new name. 
 
Introducing… 
 
MetaBollocks <a href="https://t.co/SRDMij7jI7">pic.twitter.com/SRDMij7jI7</a>
— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) <a href="https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1453788769807654920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Facebook's name wasn't the problem 
 
The toxic nature of content on its platform won't be addressed by rebranding it Meta
— Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdwardTHardy/status/1453798724984057864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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holy shit i cannot get over facebook's new name <a href="https://t.co/42UNPlgfdS">pic.twitter.com/42UNPlgfdS</a>
— 🐢 bob 📼 (@bobvids) <a href="https://twitter.com/bobvids/status/1453792610330492928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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His mama named him Facebook ima call him Facebook.
— Rod (@rodimusprime) <a href="https://twitter.com/rodimusprime/status/1453791731711946754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Mark Zuckerberg when someone calls his site Facebook instead of Meta: <a href="https://t.co/nlJYAJFqar">pic.twitter.com/nlJYAJFqar</a>
— In My Mind (@MeAloneInMyMind) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeAloneInMyMind/status/1453798298700025873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announced rebranding of the social media platform in a live streaming session on Thursday. "Facebook is now Meta," he announced.

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announced rebranding of the social media platform in a live streaming session on Thursday. "Facebook is now Meta," he announced. "We've learned a lot from struggling with social issues and living under closed platforms, and now it is time to take everything that we've learned and help build the next chapter," Zuckerberg said, but added that all apps and their brands will remain the same. Also read | Facebook is now Meta, says Mark Zuckerberg, changes company name Zuckerberg slipped in the information while explaining the Facebook users about the platform's vision for the metaverse in a live streaming session. Through this the social media platform is "helping to build the metaverse, a place where we’ll play and connect in 3D," Facebook's official Twitter handle explained. This announcement comes at a time when several former employees are coming forward in forma of whistleblower and making claims about the social media platform's negligence towards misinformation, security issues, fake news and more. While Facebook was excited to show off their rebranded company, several people expressed their anger over this change of name and lashed out at Zuckerberg, claiming that the problems in the company will not fade away through rebranding. Twitter users logged in to shower Mark Zuckerberg with their sets of memes and jokes about the new name, 'Meta'. #BREAK Facebook's new company name is Meta It still has all the same problems it had this morning. pic.twitter.com/3AROaibCeU — Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) October 28, 2021 × How to fix a company: simply change your name#Facebook #Meta pic.twitter.com/3fVL1vHeUR — Jack O'Connor (@itsjackoconnor) October 28, 2021 × Can't have problems with Facebook if the company isn't called Facebook #Meta pic.twitter.com/AdZvrD1bWi — Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) October 28, 2021 × At least the new Facebook rebrand is accurate pic.twitter.com/5hiyEzMndV — TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) October 28, 2021 × Meta accomplishes only one thing. It allows Mark Zuckerberg to say he’s not the CEO of Facebook. He will now do less controversial things like build a new virtual universe where he can be king. While running Facebook. — Andy Slavitt 🇺🇸💉 (@ASlavitt) October 28, 2021 × Hey. pic.twitter.com/axAbzsW86I — Matthews Martins (@helloimatthews) October 28, 2021 × There it is. It’s official. Facebook has a new name. Introducing… MetaBollocks pic.twitter.com/SRDMij7jI7 — Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) October 28, 2021 × Facebook's name wasn't the problem The toxic nature of content on its platform won't be addressed by rebranding it Meta — Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) October 28, 2021 × holy shit i cannot get over facebook's new name pic.twitter.com/42UNPlgfdS — 🐢 bob 📼 (@bobvids) October 28, 2021 × His mama named him Facebook ima call him Facebook. — Rod (@rodimusprime) October 28, 2021 × Mark Zuckerberg when someone calls his site Facebook instead of Meta: pic.twitter.com/nlJYAJFqar — In My Mind (@MeAloneInMyMind) October 28, 2021 ×

Meta or Facebook? Twitter users make fun of rebranding of social media platform

In a major rebranding effort, Facebook changed its name to Meta. The company said it would better “encompass” what it does as it forays into newer horizons like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality and smart glasses.

Facebook renamed as Meta with focus on building metaverse

Facebook changes its name to Meta as it forays into newer horizons like virtual reality

Facebook recently sent an email to its employees asking them to preserve internal documents and communications, dating back to 2016, for legal reasons. This comes as multiple governments are launching inquiries into the social media giant, following a series of revelations by the whistleblower's documents.&nbsp;

A Facebook spokesperson said, "On Tuesday, Facebook sent a legal hold notice to all personnel. Document preservation requests are part of the process of responding to legal inquiries."

Frances Haugen, who is a Facebook data scientist turned whistleblower, appeared before a UK Parliamentary committee and said that Facebook will fuel more violent unrest around the world. This is because of the way its algorithms are designed to promote divisive content.

"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.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-haugen-to-testify-about-facebook-and-online-harm-423860">Also read |&nbsp;Frances Haugen to testify about Facebook and online harm</a>

Haugen said she had come forward "because now is the most critical time to act". She further explained Facebook groups increases online hate as she said that the algorithms that prioritise engagement take people with mainstream interests and push them to the extremes.

As per Haugen, the company could add moderators to prevent groups from being used to spread extremist views.

These reports have raised a range of questions about the company’s workings, including the impact it can cause on a person's mental health.&nbsp;

Facebook has called the reports a “coordinated effort to selectively use leaked documents to create a false picture about our company”.&nbsp;

Facebook recently sent an email to its employees asking them to preserve internal documents and communications, dating back to 2016, for legal reasons. This comes as multiple governments are launching inquiries into the social media giant, following a series of revelations by the whistleblower's documents.

Facebook recently sent an email to its employees asking them to preserve internal documents and communications, dating back to 2016, for legal reasons. This comes as multiple governments are launching inquiries into the social media giant, following a series of revelations by the whistleblower's documents. A Facebook spokesperson said, "On Tuesday, Facebook sent a legal hold notice to all personnel. Document preservation requests are part of the process of responding to legal inquiries." Frances Haugen, who is a Facebook data scientist turned whistleblower, appeared before a UK Parliamentary committee and said that Facebook will fuel more violent unrest around the world. This is because of the way its algorithms are designed to promote divisive content. "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. Also read | Frances Haugen to testify about Facebook and online harm Haugen said she had come forward "because now is the most critical time to act". She further explained Facebook groups increases online hate as she said that the algorithms that prioritise engagement take people with mainstream interests and push them to the extremes. As per Haugen, the company could add moderators to prevent groups from being used to spread extremist views. These reports have raised a range of questions about the company’s workings, including the impact it can cause on a person's mental health. Facebook has called the reports a “coordinated effort to selectively use leaked documents to create a false picture about our company”.

Facebook asks staff to preserve records dating back to 2016 amid inquiries

Just before the Delhi Riots in 2019, inflammatory content on Facebook spiked by 300%. Facebook fanned violence in Myanmar & Ethiopia. Its algorithm prioritised the angry emoji over the like. Palki Sharma tells you how Facebook puts profits above the security of its users.

Gravitas: How Facebook profits from hate

Facebook and YouTube have removed a video by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro from its platforms, in which he made a false claim that COVID-19 vaccines were linked with developing AIDS.

Facebook, YouTube purge Bolsonaro video over false vaccine claim

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen appeared before the UK Parliamentary committee looking at online safety legislation. Speaking to the British parliament, she said that Facebook will fuel more violent unrest around the world because of the way its algorithms are designed to promote divisive content.

Facebook will fuel further unrest: Whistleblower Haugen testifies before UK parliament

Facebook and YouTube have removed from their platforms a video by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in which the far-right leader made a false claim that COVID-19 vaccines were linked with developing AIDS.

Both Facebook and Alphabet Inc's YouTube said the video, which was recorded on Thursday, violated their policies.

"Our policies don't allow claims that COVID-19 vaccines kill or seriously harm people," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/here-for-the-articles-pornhub-goes-up-as-facebook-servers-were-down-419167">'Here for the articles': Pornhub goes up as Facebook servers were down</a>

YouTube confirmed that it had taken the same step later in the day.

"We removed a video from Jair Bolsonaro's channel for violating our medical disinformation policy regarding COVID-19 for alleging that vaccines don't reduce the risk of contracting the disease and that they cause other infectious diseases," YouTube said in a statement.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), COVID-19 vaccines approved by health regulators are safe for most people, including those living with HIV, the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, known as AIDS.

Facebook and YouTube have removed from their platforms a video by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in which the far-right leader made a false claim that COVID-19 vaccines were linked with developing AIDS.

Facebook and YouTube have removed from their platforms a video by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in which the far-right leader made a false claim that COVID-19 vaccines were linked with developing AIDS. Both Facebook and Alphabet Inc's YouTube said the video, which was recorded on Thursday, violated their policies. "Our policies don't allow claims that COVID-19 vaccines kill or seriously harm people," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement on Monday. Also Read | 'Here for the articles': Pornhub goes up as Facebook servers were down YouTube confirmed that it had taken the same step later in the day. "We removed a video from Jair Bolsonaro's channel for violating our medical disinformation policy regarding COVID-19 for alleging that vaccines don't reduce the risk of contracting the disease and that they cause other infectious diseases," YouTube said in a statement. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), COVID-19 vaccines approved by health regulators are safe for most people, including those living with HIV, the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, known as AIDS.

Facebook, YouTube take down Bolsonaro video over false vaccine claim

The Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, will give evidence to MPs and peers scrutinising the online safety bill. Haugen has released tens of thousands of internal documents highlighting Facebook's failure to keep its users safe from harmful content.

Speaking to the Observer before the hearing, Haugen said that Mark Zuckerberg, who is Facebook’s founder&nbsp;had not shown any readiness to protect the public from the harm that his company has caused.

She was quoted by The Guardian as saying, “Right now, Mark [Zuckerberg] is unaccountable. He has all the control. He has no oversight, and he has not demonstrated that he is willing to govern the company at the level that is necessary for public safety.”

The Facebook whistleblower told US senators that the social media juggernaut promotes divisiveness, hurts children, and urgently needs to be controlled, prompting promises that Congress will take long-delayed action.

Haugen recently disclosed reams of internal information to authorities and The Wall Street Journal, testified on Capitol Hill, fueling one of the company's most serious crises yet. Haugen said that she believes that Facebook's products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/facebook-struggles-to-combat-misinformation-and-hate-speech-in-india-report-423506">Also read |&nbsp;Facebook struggles to combat misinformation and hate speech in India: Report</a>

Damian Collins, the Conservative MP and chair of the joint committee, was quoted by The Guardian, “Frances Haugen’s testimony so far has made it even clearer that regulatory oversight of social media platforms, from democratically elected government, is urgently needed. She will bring valuable expertise to the scrutiny process, especially as the bill should empower Ofcom&nbsp;to access and act on the internal research and concerns.”

According to documents from the former Facebook employee obtained by The Associated Press, Facebook has struggled to curb hateful content in India.&nbsp;

The Facebook whistleblower told US senators that the social media juggernaut promotes divisiveness, hurts children, and urgently needs to be controlled, prompting promises that Congress will take long-delayed action.

The Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, will give evidence to MPs and peers scrutinising the online safety bill. Haugen has released tens of thousands of internal documents highlighting Facebook's failure to keep its users safe from harmful content.

The Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, will give evidence to MPs and peers scrutinising the online safety bill. Haugen has released tens of thousands of internal documents highlighting Facebook's failure to keep its users safe from harmful content. Speaking to the Observer before the hearing, Haugen said that Mark Zuckerberg, who is Facebook’s founder had not shown any readiness to protect the public from the harm that his company has caused. She was quoted by The Guardian as saying, “Right now, Mark [Zuckerberg] is unaccountable. He has all the control. He has no oversight, and he has not demonstrated that he is willing to govern the company at the level that is necessary for public safety.” The Facebook whistleblower told US senators that the social media juggernaut promotes divisiveness, hurts children, and urgently needs to be controlled, prompting promises that Congress will take long-delayed action. Haugen recently disclosed reams of internal information to authorities and The Wall Street Journal, testified on Capitol Hill, fueling one of the company's most serious crises yet. Haugen said that she believes that Facebook's products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy. Also read | Facebook struggles to combat misinformation and hate speech in India: Report Damian Collins, the Conservative MP and chair of the joint committee, was quoted by The Guardian, “Frances Haugen’s testimony so far has made it even clearer that regulatory oversight of social media platforms, from democratically elected government, is urgently needed. She will bring valuable expertise to the scrutiny process, especially as the bill should empower Ofcom to access and act on the internal research and concerns.” According to documents from the former Facebook employee obtained by The Associated Press, Facebook has struggled to curb hateful content in India. The Facebook whistleblower told US senators that the social media juggernaut promotes divisiveness, hurts children, and urgently needs to be controlled, prompting promises that Congress will take long-delayed action.

Frances Haugen to testify about Facebook and online harm

Frances Haugen first met Jeff Horwitz, a tech-industry reporter for The Wall Street Journal, in early December on a hiking trail near the Chabot Space &amp; Science Center in Oakland, California.

She liked that he seemed thoughtful, and she liked that he had written about Facebook’s role in transmitting violent Hindu nationalism in India, a particular interest of hers. She also got the impression that he would support her as a person, rather than as a mere source who could supply him with the inside information she had picked up during her nearly two years as a product manager at Facebook.

"I auditioned Jeff for a while," Haugen told me in a phone interview from her home in Puerto Rico, "and one of the reasons I went with him is that he was less sensationalistic than other choices I could have made."

She became one of the greatest sources of the century, turning over the tens of thousands of pages of internal documents she had collected. Starting Sept. 13, the Journal justified her confidence with a meticulous rollout that included 11 major articles by Horwitz and other reporters cleverly packaged under a catchy rubric, The Facebook Files.

Key revelations included how Facebook executives handled politicised lies, including Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud. Often, the company chose to let misinformation spread widely, to keep more people logging on. The series also noted the lengths that Facebook went to in its desperation to hang on to its audience as young people drifted away from its platforms.

The Journal also produced a podcast episode introducing Haugen as poised, incisive and intensely moral, a depiction that Horwitz told me he agrees with after much reporting, but which also amounted to white-glove treatment of a treasured source.

So there was an uncomfortable moment Oct. 7, when a communications firm working with Haugen invited Horwitz and two of his editors to a Zoom call with a group that would grow to include journalists from 17 other U.S. media outlets.

On the call, Haugen offered to share redacted versions of the trove of Facebook documents under an embargo to be set by the group. The firm, founded by former Barack Obama aide Bill Burton, would help manage the process. After she made her pitch, Horwitz and his colleagues found themselves in a strange position: The source who had provided them with the stuff of so many exclusive scoops now seemed to be going rogue.

"This is a little awkward," Jason Dean, an editor at the Journal, said on the call, according to three participants.

The Journal team left before the call was over. Since then, journalists at The Atlantic, The Associated Press, CNN, NBC News, Fox Business and other outlets, including The New York Times, have been poring over the first tranche of Haugen’s documents, along with a parallel group in Europe, with a plan to publish their findings Monday (although stories began trickling out Friday night).

We live in a time of megaleaks, enabled by the same digital technology that allows us to surveil one another and document our lives as never before. These leaks have given the leakers and their brokers a new kind of power over the news media, raising tricky questions about how their revelations should enter the public sphere. There are questions, in particular, on the balance of power between the sources of vital information and the reporters who benefit from them.

Some leaks, including U.S. military and State Department files, emerged on WikiLeaks or nameless servers in the form of massive data dumps; others, including Edward Snowden’s National Security Agency files and The Intercept’s revelations of America’s drone wars, came about after journalists had gained sources’ trusts.

Reports on the Panama Papers, based on the leaking of more than 11 million documents, and other examinations of global tax evasion that followed it were brokered through the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which managed a collaboration among hundreds of journalists around the world. They read the documents, as well as one another’s stories, on a secure server before coordinating the rollout of their articles on social media.

In some cases, the leaker or hacker seems to be the one who controls how and when information is released. That’s how it went in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, when a Kremlin-directed cyberattack on the Democratic National Committee led to the devastatingly timed publication of the committee’s private documents on WikiLeaks.

In other instances, a key source may yield to a unified group of journalists — at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists or elsewhere — who add layers of reporting and analysis to the raw material.

"You can’t afford to have the source dictate the story," Gerard Ryle, director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, said in an interview.

Haugen chose a middle path, one that appears to have captured the best of both arrangements, from her perspective, while also foiling Facebook’s attempts to contain the story.

First, she handed her documents to the Journal for a boutique rollout. Then she opened the journalistic equivalent of an outlet store, allowing reporters on two continents to root through everything the Journal had left behind in search of overlooked informational gems. Her intention was to broaden the circle, she said. She added that she plans to share the documents with academic writers and publications from parts of the world where she sees the greatest peril, including India and parts of the Middle East.

"The reason I wanted to do this project is because I think the global South is in danger," she said.

With this model, Haugen and her advisers have created a new kind of journalistic network, one that has stirred mixed feelings among the journalists involved. In the past two weeks, they have gathered on the messaging app Slack to coordinate their plans — and the name of their Slack group, chosen by Adrienne LaFrance, executive editor of The Atlantic, suggests their ambivalence: "Apparently We’re a Consortium Now."

Inside the Slack group, whose messages were shared with me by a participant, members have reflected on the strangeness of working, however tangentially, with competitors. (I didn’t speak to any Times participants about the Slack messages.)

"This is the weirdest thing I have ever been part of, reporting-wise," wrote Alex Heath, a tech reporter for The Verge.

In an interview, Brian Carovillano, head of investigations for The Associated Press, said, "It’s remarkable to see these news organizations, large and small, set aside some of their competitive impulses and work together to report out a story that is unquestionably in the public interest."

The Slack group has also discussed news outlets that are not part of the consortium, including The Information. (In an article published Friday about Haugen’s media strategy, The Information reported that it had asked to join the group, "but was told by one participant that it was not accepting new members.") The Guardian, which won a Pulitzer Prize in public service in 2014 for its reports on secret surveillance by the National Security Agency — a series made possible by Snowden’s leaks — was another publication that got left out.

Haugen told the participants that she felt the Journal could have published more articles on the documents she provided, especially on Facebook’s effect on nations where English is not the main language.

The polished rollout, including Haugen’s Oct. 3 appearance on "60 Minutes" and congressional testimony days later, has led to dark hints from Facebook and its allies that there is something a little too good to be true about her. The Journal’s right-wing editorial page accused her of seeking to censor political speech, writing that it was "notable that her appearance seems to have been midwifed by Bill Burton, a prominent Democratic communications executive." A Facebook executive tweeted preemptively to suggest that the embargo could amount to an "orchestrated ‘gotcha’ campaign."

I haven’t found anything to suggest that there is more, or less, than meets the eye to Haugen, a high school debater who had worked at Google and Pinterest before joining Facebook in 2019.

"There is zero evidence whatsoever in my mind of any other entity being involved," Horwitz told me.

Lawrence Lessig, the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, who volunteered as her lawyer, said he had brought in Burton, the former Obama aide, in September, after the Journal’s reporting was underway.

Haugen, in our phone interview, also resolved a minor mystery: whether she’s quietly relying on the financial support of Pierre Omidyar, an eBay co-founder whose groups started working with her in October, as Politico first reported.

The reality, she said, is that she has her own financial resources, and has accepted help from nonprofit groups backed by Omidyar only for travel and similar expenses.

"For the foreseeable future, I’m fine, because I did buy crypto at the right time," she told me.

She noted that she had moved to Puerto Rico to cope with a health condition — but also to join her "crypto friends" on the island, whose capital-gains tax exemptions have made it a hub for that novel financial system.

(Burton said he was initially working without pay but is now being paid by donors, including the nonprofit groups backed by Omidyar.)

When I began reporting this column, I thought the central question would be whether Haugen’s tactics had allowed her to control the story, and whether journalistic collaboration had bled into groupthink. But although a glance at Twitter shows that journalists on any beat can slip into a herd mentality, there’s little evidence that this leak, with its trove of documentary detail, had deepened that tendency.

Competitive pressures have remained close to the surface. The Journal would have preferred other outlets stick with its "Facebook Files" branding, but the Times’ Mike Isaac wrote in the Slack group that using that phrase would be "free advertising for the Journal series," prompting Casey Newton of the newsletter Platformer to suggest going with "The Leftovers." Most outlets settled on "The Facebook Papers."

By Friday night — Black Friday at the information mall, so to speak — the Slack group was falling apart. Another Times reporter, Ryan Mac, had dropped in late that afternoon with a "heads-up": The Times would be publishing an article on Facebook’s conduct in the run-up to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol based — he assured his rivals — on "documents we got before the formation of the consortium."

It seemed to many others to be within the letter of their agreement, but also an attempt by the Times to get ahead of competitors who hadn’t obtained the documents separately.

"My thought is, if you are a reporter who had these docs, maybe it would have been cooler to not be part of the consortium, rather than run down the clock," NBC News' Brandy Zadrozny fumed in the Slack group.

After NBC News responded to the Times’ move by breaking the embargo with its own Facebook article, Zadrozny apologised to her rival reporters in a Slack message: "My editor says if the nytimes doesn’t have to abide by the rules then we are out. I’m really sorry. This sucks. And now it’s a media story."

A Times spokesperson, Danielle Rhoades Ha, said the publication is playing by the"consortium’s ground rules," under which "documents obtained by outlets prior to the consortium’s creation are not subject to the embargo time."

Haugen, for her part, has watched the Journal’s rollout and its rivals’ subsequent scramble to catch up with equanimity. "Now that I’ve met so many journalists, and I’ve seen how hard Jeff works, I feel more grateful for the media than when I started," she said.

Frances Haugen first met Jeff Horwitz, a tech-industry reporter for The Wall Street Journal, in early December on a hiking trail near the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California.

Frances Haugen first met Jeff Horwitz, a tech-industry reporter for The Wall Street Journal, in early December on a hiking trail near the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California. She liked that he seemed thoughtful, and she liked that he had written about Facebook’s role in transmitting violent Hindu nationalism in India, a particular interest of hers. She also got the impression that he would support her as a person, rather than as a mere source who could supply him with the inside information she had picked up during her nearly two years as a product manager at Facebook. "I auditioned Jeff for a while," Haugen told me in a phone interview from her home in Puerto Rico, "and one of the reasons I went with him is that he was less sensationalistic than other choices I could have made." She became one of the greatest sources of the century, turning over the tens of thousands of pages of internal documents she had collected. Starting Sept. 13, the Journal justified her confidence with a meticulous rollout that included 11 major articles by Horwitz and other reporters cleverly packaged under a catchy rubric, The Facebook Files. Key revelations included how Facebook executives handled politicised lies, including Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud. Often, the company chose to let misinformation spread widely, to keep more people logging on. The series also noted the lengths that Facebook went to in its desperation to hang on to its audience as young people drifted away from its platforms. The Journal also produced a podcast episode introducing Haugen as poised, incisive and intensely moral, a depiction that Horwitz told me he agrees with after much reporting, but which also amounted to white-glove treatment of a treasured source. So there was an uncomfortable moment Oct. 7, when a communications firm working with Haugen invited Horwitz and two of his editors to a Zoom call with a group that would grow to include journalists from 17 other U.S. media outlets. On the call, Haugen offered to share redacted versions of the trove of Facebook documents under an embargo to be set by the group. The firm, founded by former Barack Obama aide Bill Burton, would help manage the process. After she made her pitch, Horwitz and his colleagues found themselves in a strange position: The source who had provided them with the stuff of so many exclusive scoops now seemed to be going rogue. "This is a little awkward," Jason Dean, an editor at the Journal, said on the call, according to three participants. The Journal team left before the call was over. Since then, journalists at The Atlantic, The Associated Press, CNN, NBC News, Fox Business and other outlets, including The New York Times, have been poring over the first tranche of Haugen’s documents, along with a parallel group in Europe, with a plan to publish their findings Monday (although stories began trickling out Friday night). We live in a time of megaleaks, enabled by the same digital technology that allows us to surveil one another and document our lives as never before. These leaks have given the leakers and their brokers a new kind of power over the news media, raising tricky questions about how their revelations should enter the public sphere. There are questions, in particular, on the balance of power between the sources of vital information and the reporters who benefit from them. Some leaks, including U.S. military and State Department files, emerged on WikiLeaks or nameless servers in the form of massive data dumps; others, including Edward Snowden’s National Security Agency files and The Intercept’s revelations of America’s drone wars, came about after journalists had gained sources’ trusts. Reports on the Panama Papers, based on the leaking of more than 11 million documents, and other examinations of global tax evasion that followed it were brokered through the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which managed a collaboration among hundreds of journalists around the world. They read the documents, as well as one another’s stories, on a secure server before coordinating the rollout of their articles on social media. In some cases, the leaker or hacker seems to be the one who controls how and when information is released. That’s how it went in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, when a Kremlin-directed cyberattack on the Democratic National Committee led to the devastatingly timed publication of the committee’s private documents on WikiLeaks. In other instances, a key source may yield to a unified group of journalists — at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists or elsewhere — who add layers of reporting and analysis to the raw material. "You can’t afford to have the source dictate the story," Gerard Ryle, director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, said in an interview. Haugen chose a middle path, one that appears to have captured the best of both arrangements, from her perspective, while also foiling Facebook’s attempts to contain the story. First, she handed her documents to the Journal for a boutique rollout. Then she opened the journalistic equivalent of an outlet store, allowing reporters on two continents to root through everything the Journal had left behind in search of overlooked informational gems. Her intention was to broaden the circle, she said. She added that she plans to share the documents with academic writers and publications from parts of the world where she sees the greatest peril, including India and parts of the Middle East. "The reason I wanted to do this project is because I think the global South is in danger," she said. With this model, Haugen and her advisers have created a new kind of journalistic network, one that has stirred mixed feelings among the journalists involved. In the past two weeks, they have gathered on the messaging app Slack to coordinate their plans — and the name of their Slack group, chosen by Adrienne LaFrance, executive editor of The Atlantic, suggests their ambivalence: "Apparently We’re a Consortium Now." Inside the Slack group, whose messages were shared with me by a participant, members have reflected on the strangeness of working, however tangentially, with competitors. (I didn’t speak to any Times participants about the Slack messages.) "This is the weirdest thing I have ever been part of, reporting-wise," wrote Alex Heath, a tech reporter for The Verge. In an interview, Brian Carovillano, head of investigations for The Associated Press, said, "It’s remarkable to see these news organizations, large and small, set aside some of their competitive impulses and work together to report out a story that is unquestionably in the public interest." The Slack group has also discussed news outlets that are not part of the consortium, including The Information. (In an article published Friday about Haugen’s media strategy, The Information reported that it had asked to join the group, "but was told by one participant that it was not accepting new members.") The Guardian, which won a Pulitzer Prize in public service in 2014 for its reports on secret surveillance by the National Security Agency — a series made possible by Snowden’s leaks — was another publication that got left out. Haugen told the participants that she felt the Journal could have published more articles on the documents she provided, especially on Facebook’s effect on nations where English is not the main language. The polished rollout, including Haugen’s Oct. 3 appearance on "60 Minutes" and congressional testimony days later, has led to dark hints from Facebook and its allies that there is something a little too good to be true about her. The Journal’s right-wing editorial page accused her of seeking to censor political speech, writing that it was "notable that her appearance seems to have been midwifed by Bill Burton, a prominent Democratic communications executive." A Facebook executive tweeted preemptively to suggest that the embargo could amount to an "orchestrated ‘gotcha’ campaign." I haven’t found anything to suggest that there is more, or less, than meets the eye to Haugen, a high school debater who had worked at Google and Pinterest before joining Facebook in 2019. "There is zero evidence whatsoever in my mind of any other entity being involved," Horwitz told me. Lawrence Lessig, the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, who volunteered as her lawyer, said he had brought in Burton, the former Obama aide, in September, after the Journal’s reporting was underway. Haugen, in our phone interview, also resolved a minor mystery: whether she’s quietly relying on the financial support of Pierre Omidyar, an eBay co-founder whose groups started working with her in October, as Politico first reported. The reality, she said, is that she has her own financial resources, and has accepted help from nonprofit groups backed by Omidyar only for travel and similar expenses. "For the foreseeable future, I’m fine, because I did buy crypto at the right time," she told me. She noted that she had moved to Puerto Rico to cope with a health condition — but also to join her "crypto friends" on the island, whose capital-gains tax exemptions have made it a hub for that novel financial system. (Burton said he was initially working without pay but is now being paid by donors, including the nonprofit groups backed by Omidyar.) When I began reporting this column, I thought the central question would be whether Haugen’s tactics had allowed her to control the story, and whether journalistic collaboration had bled into groupthink. But although a glance at Twitter shows that journalists on any beat can slip into a herd mentality, there’s little evidence that this leak, with its trove of documentary detail, had deepened that tendency. Competitive pressures have remained close to the surface. The Journal would have preferred other outlets stick with its "Facebook Files" branding, but the Times’ Mike Isaac wrote in the Slack group that using that phrase would be "free advertising for the Journal series," prompting Casey Newton of the newsletter Platformer to suggest going with "The Leftovers." Most outlets settled on "The Facebook Papers." By Friday night — Black Friday at the information mall, so to speak — the Slack group was falling apart. Another Times reporter, Ryan Mac, had dropped in late that afternoon with a "heads-up": The Times would be publishing an article on Facebook’s conduct in the run-up to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol based — he assured his rivals — on "documents we got before the formation of the consortium." It seemed to many others to be within the letter of their agreement, but also an attempt by the Times to get ahead of competitors who hadn’t obtained the documents separately. "My thought is, if you are a reporter who had these docs, maybe it would have been cooler to not be part of the consortium, rather than run down the clock," NBC News' Brandy Zadrozny fumed in the Slack group. After NBC News responded to the Times’ move by breaking the embargo with its own Facebook article, Zadrozny apologised to her rival reporters in a Slack message: "My editor says if the nytimes doesn’t have to abide by the rules then we are out. I’m really sorry. This sucks. And now it’s a media story." A Times spokesperson, Danielle Rhoades Ha, said the publication is playing by the"consortium’s ground rules," under which "documents obtained by outlets prior to the consortium’s creation are not subject to the embargo time." Haugen, for her part, has watched the Journal’s rollout and its rivals’ subsequent scramble to catch up with equanimity. "Now that I’ve met so many journalists, and I’ve seen how hard Jeff works, I feel more grateful for the media than when I started," she said.

Inside the big Facebook leak

After 58 years apart, an English woman from Lincolnshire has been reunited with her father.

Julie Lund, 59, asked for aid in locating him on a local Facebook group and was "blown away" by the response.

She was reunited with her father, Brian Rothery, who had resided a little over an hour away in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, for the previous four days.

"It was like a miracle, and I'm not a believer in miracles," Brian added, to which Julie replied, "We got one."&nbsp;

Facebook is a worldwide community of millions of people, but it also brings together smaller, local groups that have a common interest in the locations they live and work.&nbsp;

These social media groups and organisations frequently assist people in locating long-lost friends and family members.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

After 58 years apart, an English woman from Lincolnshire has been reunited with her father. Julie Lund, 59, asked for aid in locating him on a local Facebook group and was "blown away" by the response.

After 58 years apart, an English woman from Lincolnshire has been reunited with her father. Julie Lund, 59, asked for aid in locating him on a local Facebook group and was "blown away" by the response. She was reunited with her father, Brian Rothery, who had resided a little over an hour away in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, for the previous four days. "It was like a miracle, and I'm not a believer in miracles," Brian added, to which Julie replied, "We got one." Facebook is a worldwide community of millions of people, but it also brings together smaller, local groups that have a common interest in the locations they live and work. These social media groups and organisations frequently assist people in locating long-lost friends and family members. (With inputs from agencies)

Woman finds her dad on Facebook after 58 years

Facebook in India has been selective in curbing hate speech, mis-information and inflammatory posts. This is according to leaked documents obtained by the Associated Press.

Facebook selective in curbing hate speech, mis-information and inflammatory posts

According to documents from a former Facebook employee obtained by The Associated Press, Facebook has struggled to curb hateful content in India.&nbsp;

These documents were a part of files handed over to Congress and provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Frances Haugen, who happens to be a former Facebook employee and whistleblower.&nbsp;

The Facebook whistleblower told US senators that the social media juggernaut promotes divisiveness, hurts children, and urgently needs to be controlled, prompting promises that Congress will take long-delayed action.

The documents from 2019 to March 2021 show Facebook has not been able to keep up with misinformation and hateful content in India. The Associated Press reported that Facebook has known about the issues for years. The documents raise questions about if enough has been done to get rid of such content online.&nbsp;

One of the issues which were highlighted was that Facebook did not have enough moderators who spoke Hindi or Bengali to stop misinformation or hateful content.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-weakens-our-democracy-harms-kids-top-quotes-from-whistleblower-frances-haugens-testimony-418489">Also read |&nbsp;'Facebook weakens our democracy, harms kids': Top quotes from whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony</a>

The company labelled the languages as priorities for “automation on violating hostile speech.”&nbsp;

In 2019, one employee created a completely new Facebook account in India to see what someone would see recommended on their feed with no prior bias, reports AP. He said the account, which was live for three weeks, became "a near-constant barrage of polarising nationalist content, misinformation, and violence and gore.”

The content that the employee received&nbsp;contained fake news.

Facebook has “invested significantly in technology to find hate speech in various languages, including Hindi and Bengali,” the company told The Associated Press, which “reduced the amount of hate speech that people see by half” in 2021.

Haugen recently disclosed reams of internal information to authorities and The Wall Street Journal, testified on Capitol Hill, fueling one of the company's most serious crises yet. Haugen said that she believes that Facebook's products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy.

According to documents from a former Facebook employee obtained by The Associated Press, Facebook has struggled to curb hateful content in India. These documents were a part of files handed over to Congress and provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Frances Haugen, who happens to be a former Facebook employee and whistleblower.

According to documents from a former Facebook employee obtained by The Associated Press, Facebook has struggled to curb hateful content in India. These documents were a part of files handed over to Congress and provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Frances Haugen, who happens to be a former Facebook employee and whistleblower. The Facebook whistleblower told US senators that the social media juggernaut promotes divisiveness, hurts children, and urgently needs to be controlled, prompting promises that Congress will take long-delayed action. The documents from 2019 to March 2021 show Facebook has not been able to keep up with misinformation and hateful content in India. The Associated Press reported that Facebook has known about the issues for years. The documents raise questions about if enough has been done to get rid of such content online. One of the issues which were highlighted was that Facebook did not have enough moderators who spoke Hindi or Bengali to stop misinformation or hateful content. Also read | 'Facebook weakens our democracy, harms kids': Top quotes from whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony The company labelled the languages as priorities for “automation on violating hostile speech.” In 2019, one employee created a completely new Facebook account in India to see what someone would see recommended on their feed with no prior bias, reports AP. He said the account, which was live for three weeks, became "a near-constant barrage of polarising nationalist content, misinformation, and violence and gore.” The content that the employee received contained fake news. Facebook has “invested significantly in technology to find hate speech in various languages, including Hindi and Bengali,” the company told The Associated Press, which “reduced the amount of hate speech that people see by half” in 2021. Haugen recently disclosed reams of internal information to authorities and The Wall Street Journal, testified on Capitol Hill, fueling one of the company's most serious crises yet. Haugen said that she believes that Facebook's products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy.

Facebook struggles to combat misinformation and hate speech in India: Report

Facebook is planning to change its name and logo as part of a rebranding strategy. Will the change in nomenclature reform Facebook's toxic business model? Palki Sharma tells you why it's time for Mark Zuckerberg to quit.

Gravitas: Facebook set to change name and logo

Facebook held back from doing all it could to stop users from being radicalized and US election misinformation from flooding the social network, according to media reports Friday.

An array of US news outlets cited documents from former Facebook worker Frances Haugen, adding to a series of critical revelations already published based on information she provided.

Articles in the New York Times, Washington Post and elsewhere on Friday focused on how Facebook apparently intensified political division.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-to-pay-french-publishers-for-news-content-422671">Facebook to pay French publishers for news content</a>

Examples included an internal finding that 10 percent of political content viewed by US users in the days after the election perpetuated the falsehood that the vote had been rigged.

What has come to be known as the "Big Lie" has been repeated relentlessly by former President Donald Trump and enraged his supporters, who stormed the US Capital in a deadly attack on January 6.

Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms banned Trump from their platforms for encouraging the violent effort to thwart the democratic process.

Revelations published Friday indicated that Facebook could have anticipated such trouble.

'Carol's journey'&nbsp;

The information was reportedly found in the thousands of internal documents Haugen provided to regulators at the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Haugen told US lawmakers early this month that the social media giant fuels division, harms children and urgently needs to be regulated, drawing pledges Congress would take up long-delayed action.

The testimony by Haugen has fueled one of Facebook's most serious crises yet, and prompted a denial from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who said in a post on his account that her claim the company prioritizes profit over safety was "just not true."

A common theme in revelations is that Facebook knew about problems hurting users and society but chose, in large part, to ignore them.

Articles Friday referred to a report compiled by Facebook's own internal researchers titled "Carol's Journey to QAnon."

Facebook's security team in 2019 reportedly created a fake account for a "conservative mother from North Carolina" given the profile name Carol Smith.

The social network software quickly offered Smith a "barrage of extreme, conspiratorial and graphic content" including from the QAnon movement known for unfounded conspiracy theories, according to the researchers.

Defense&nbsp;

Faced with the mounting criticism, Facebook on Friday detailed anew steps it has taken to protect the election and keep the social network safe.

"Our comprehensive strategy to protect the US 2020 elections began years before the election cycle even began and was designed to last through the inauguration," Facebook vice president of integrity Guy Rosen said in a blog post.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-banned-on-twitter-and-fb-to-launch-his-own-social-network-422513">Donald Trump, banned on Twitter and FB, to launch his own social network</a>

"Responsibility for the insurrection itself falls squarely on the insurrectionists who broke the law and those who incited them."

Facebook's tenacious efforts to fend off critics is not likely to appease elected officials openly calling for action against the tech giant.

More revelations from leaked documents appear in store, and a former member of Facebook's integrity team emerged Friday as another whistleblower.

The former employee reportedly told US regulators that Facebook dismissed controversy over Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election as a "flash in the pan" and that managers undermined efforts to fight disinformation for fear of angering Trump or his fans.

Facebook held back from doing all it could to stop users from being radicalized and US election misinformation from flooding the social network, according to media reports Friday.

Facebook held back from doing all it could to stop users from being radicalized and US election misinformation from flooding the social network, according to media reports Friday. An array of US news outlets cited documents from former Facebook worker Frances Haugen, adding to a series of critical revelations already published based on information she provided. Articles in the New York Times, Washington Post and elsewhere on Friday focused on how Facebook apparently intensified political division. Also Read | Facebook to pay French publishers for news content Examples included an internal finding that 10 percent of political content viewed by US users in the days after the election perpetuated the falsehood that the vote had been rigged. What has come to be known as the "Big Lie" has been repeated relentlessly by former President Donald Trump and enraged his supporters, who stormed the US Capital in a deadly attack on January 6. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms banned Trump from their platforms for encouraging the violent effort to thwart the democratic process. Revelations published Friday indicated that Facebook could have anticipated such trouble. 'Carol's journey' The information was reportedly found in the thousands of internal documents Haugen provided to regulators at the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Haugen told US lawmakers early this month that the social media giant fuels division, harms children and urgently needs to be regulated, drawing pledges Congress would take up long-delayed action. The testimony by Haugen has fueled one of Facebook's most serious crises yet, and prompted a denial from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who said in a post on his account that her claim the company prioritizes profit over safety was "just not true." A common theme in revelations is that Facebook knew about problems hurting users and society but chose, in large part, to ignore them. Articles Friday referred to a report compiled by Facebook's own internal researchers titled "Carol's Journey to QAnon." Facebook's security team in 2019 reportedly created a fake account for a "conservative mother from North Carolina" given the profile name Carol Smith. The social network software quickly offered Smith a "barrage of extreme, conspiratorial and graphic content" including from the QAnon movement known for unfounded conspiracy theories, according to the researchers. Defense Faced with the mounting criticism, Facebook on Friday detailed anew steps it has taken to protect the election and keep the social network safe. "Our comprehensive strategy to protect the US 2020 elections began years before the election cycle even began and was designed to last through the inauguration," Facebook vice president of integrity Guy Rosen said in a blog post. Also Read | Donald Trump, banned on Twitter and FB, to launch his own social network "Responsibility for the insurrection itself falls squarely on the insurrectionists who broke the law and those who incited them." Facebook's tenacious efforts to fend off critics is not likely to appease elected officials openly calling for action against the tech giant. More revelations from leaked documents appear in store, and a former member of Facebook's integrity team emerged Friday as another whistleblower. The former employee reportedly told US regulators that Facebook dismissed controversy over Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election as a "flash in the pan" and that managers undermined efforts to fight disinformation for fear of angering Trump or his fans.

Rising tide of leaks threatens to inundate Facebook

Facebook has been making the headlines for one controversy or other. The social media platform is once again in news and the pressure seems to be mounting.<o:p></o:p>

A new whistleblower has come ahead and shared experiences and grievances about Facebook in an exclusive interview with US media house, the Washington Post. <o:p></o:p>

The whistleblower has claimed that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook?page=1">Facebook</a> allowed to continue hate speech on the social media platform, even though the experts in the company were well aware about it.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-to-pay-french-publishers-for-news-content-422671">Facebook to pay French publishers for news content</a></o:p>

It has been alleged that Facebook purposely did not enforce proper safety rules during the time of US election 2020, simply because they were afraid it would anger the then-US President Donald Trump and his allies. Facebook chose to let the hate speech continue to ensure their own growth.<o:p></o:p>

The new whistleblower’s claims have come a few hours after several US media houses published reports based on the internal documents shared by a former employee of Facebook.<o:p></o:p>

Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager&nbsp;had accused the social media platform of prioritising profits over safety of users.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-unveils-its-first-generation-smart-glasses-412091">Facebook unveils its first-generation smart glasses</a></o:p>

Facebook has been accused of avoiding and knowingly skipping all concerns flagged by employees before and after the US election 2020. The social media platform kept ignoring warnings when Donald Trump and his allies were using the platform to share fake news and advance their own propaganda with the aim of overturning election result.<o:p></o:p>

A media house also reported that several internal documents have also highlighted that Facebook’s recommendation tools purposely push users towards extremist groups. These researchers had also flagged this error to the higher authorities, who chose to ignore the warnings.<o:p></o:p>

However, a Facebook spokesperson, has rubbished the new accusations and has lashed out at the Washington Post for reporting this story.<o:p></o:p>

"This is beneath the Washington Post, which during the last five years would only report stories after deep reporting with corroborating sources,"&nbsp;Erin McPike, a Facebook spokeswoman. She also added that the media house’s report sets "a dangerous precedent to hang an entire story on a single source making a wide range of claims without any apparent corroboration".<o:p></o:p>

Facebook has been making the headlines for one controversy or other. The social media platform is once again in news and the pressure seems to be mounting. A new whistleblower has come ahead and shared experiences and grievances about Facebook in an exclusive interview with US media house, the Washington Post.

Facebook has been making the headlines for one controversy or other. The social media platform is once again in news and the pressure seems to be mounting. A new whistleblower has come ahead and shared experiences and grievances about Facebook in an exclusive interview with US media house, the Washington Post. The whistleblower has claimed that Facebook allowed to continue hate speech on the social media platform, even though the experts in the company were well aware about it. Also read | Facebook to pay French publishers for news content It has been alleged that Facebook purposely did not enforce proper safety rules during the time of US election 2020, simply because they were afraid it would anger the then-US President Donald Trump and his allies. Facebook chose to let the hate speech continue to ensure their own growth. The new whistleblower’s claims have come a few hours after several US media houses published reports based on the internal documents shared by a former employee of Facebook. Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager had accused the social media platform of prioritising profits over safety of users. Also read | Facebook unveils its first-generation smart glasses Facebook has been accused of avoiding and knowingly skipping all concerns flagged by employees before and after the US election 2020. The social media platform kept ignoring warnings when Donald Trump and his allies were using the platform to share fake news and advance their own propaganda with the aim of overturning election result. A media house also reported that several internal documents have also highlighted that Facebook’s recommendation tools purposely push users towards extremist groups. These researchers had also flagged this error to the higher authorities, who chose to ignore the warnings. However, a Facebook spokesperson, has rubbished the new accusations and has lashed out at the Washington Post for reporting this story. "This is beneath the Washington Post, which during the last five years would only report stories after deep reporting with corroborating sources," Erin McPike, a Facebook spokeswoman. She also added that the media house’s report sets "a dangerous precedent to hang an entire story on a single source making a wide range of claims without any apparent corroboration".

Facebook knowingly allowed hate speech on platforms, new whistleblower claims

A UK watchdog has fined Facebook 50.5 million pounds ($69.4 million) for violating rules during the U.K. investigation into the social media giant’s purchase of Giphy. Reportedly, the fine has been imposed after Facebook failed to provide required information during the probe.

Giphy deal: Facebook fined USD 70 million

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