On Tuesday, CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, ultimately addressed the list of allegations made by whistleblower Frances Haugen, rejecting that the social media giant prioritized its profits over the safety of the users.
“At the heart of these accusations is this idea that we prioritize profit over safety and well-being,” Zuckerberg stated in a post on his Facebook page. “That’s just not true.”
Zuckerberg’s comments arrive after almost a month of records out of the Wall Street Journal that has depended on the inner Facebook research contributed to the newspaper by Haugen, who quit from Facebook in May.
The accounts have shed light upon various issues on Facebook’s services that the platform is conscious about but tends to ignore or fail to find a resolution. This includes the research that reveals Facebook is mindful that Instagram is damaging to teenagers’ mental health.
“Of everything published, I’m particularly focused on the questions raised about our work with kids,” Zuckerberg stated. “I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the kinds of experiences I want my kids and others to have online, and it’s very important to me that everything we build is safe and good for kids.”
Zuckerberg’s response arrived after Haugen testified before the senators on both sides of the aisles on the social media company’s problems for society at Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
Without mentioning Haugen, Zuckerberg stated how most of the claims don’t make sense and how the argument of pushing anger-inducing content is illogical, according to him.
Zuckerberg also asked Congress to renew internet ordinances that define at what age teens should be enabled to use social media platforms, how tech firms should check users’ ages and how platforms should consider both, ensuring privacy to kids while providing parents clarity to their children’s online activities.
“Similar to balancing other social issues, I don’t believe private companies should make all of the decisions on their own,” he wrote. “That’s why we have advocated for updated internet regulations for several years now.”
