Mark Zuckerberg Addresses Whistleblower Testimony on Facebook

Chief Executive of Facebook Inc Mark Zuckerberg recently put up a Facebook post in which he addressed the whistleblower testimony and said how the company is being mischaracterized through media reports. He went on to acknowledge the company’s efforts in conducting research of issues and expresses the difficulty in determining how social media is being used among young children.

Mark Zuckerberg waited until the two congressional hearings before sending a memo out to his employees and then sharing it on Facebook with the public. A hearing of the whistleblower on Tuesday laid the foundation for the Facebook Files Series which reflect how the company uses algorithms to make divides and boost favoritism. The series also highlights how major drug cartels and traffickers make use of the social media platform.

The whistleblower, Frances Haugen, a former worker at Facebook has asked to share internal information from the company. Mark Zuckerberg wrote, “Facebook is committed to doing more research ourselves and making more research publicly available.” He also stressed on how he is focused on questions regarding Facebook’s work with children, “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.”

He further added, “The reality is that young people use technology. But when it comes to young people’s health or well-being, every negative experience matters. It is incredibly sad to think of a young person in a moment of distress who, instead of being comforted, has their experience made worse.”

Technology companies should focus on making products or services which meet the needs of the people while also keeping them safe.