After a company whistleblower made headlines during a highly publicized Senate session, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued a long statement on Tuesday.
Earlier that day, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, testified before a Senate Commerce subcommittee, accusing the business of not having enough staff to maintain check of material and claiming that the network harmed minors.
“Now that today’s testimony is complete, I’d want to reflect on the current public discourse. I’m sure many of you have found the recent articles difficult to read because it simply does not reflect the company we know,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post shared with company employees. “Safety, well-being, and mental health are all important to us. It’s frustrating to see media coverage that misrepresents our work and motivations.”
During the hearing, Haugen claimed that Facebook relied too heavily on artificial intelligence to prevent hate speech, misinformation, and inappropriate advertisements for children and that the technology barely caught 10 to 20% of the banned content.
Zuckerberg proceeded to emphasize the need of removing dangerous information from the internet and developing tools like “Messenger Kids” to keep children safe.
Haugen, on the other hand, claimed her staff could only handle a third of the hazardous material instances she was aware of, and that the firm “would certainly have many more cases” if it had “even a rudimentary detector.”
“I understand how irritating it is to have the wonderful work we do belittle, especially for those of you who are making significant contributions in the areas of safety, integrity, research, and product development. But, in the long run, I feel that if we continue to do the right thing and provide experiences that enrich people’s lives, it will be better for our community and our business.
