Facebook brands suggestions it fuelled US Capitol riot as ‘ludicrous’
- It is alleged that Facebook relaxed its security safeguards after the 2020 election in a move that led it to be used by Trump supporters storming the Capitol
- Facebook’s vice-president of policy and global affairs Nick Clegg also vehemently pushed back at the assertion its platforms are ‘toxic’ for teens
Facebook on Sunday dismissed as “ludicrous” suggestions it contributed to the US Capitol riot on January 6, a charge the social media giant expects will be levelled in an upcoming whistle-blower interview.
Facebook’s vice-president of policy and global affairs Nick Clegg also vehemently pushed back at the assertion its platforms are “toxic” for teens, days after a tense recent congressional hearing in which US politicians grilled the company over its impact on the mental health of young users.
The world’s largest social media platform has been embroiled in a firestorm brought about by an unnamed whistle-blower, who has shared a trove of company documents with politicians and The Wall Street Journal that detail how Facebook knew its products, including Instagram, were harming girls’ self-image.
The uproar was likely to continue late on Sunday with the appearance of an unnamed whistle-blower on news show 60 Minutes to discuss accusations that Facebook relaxed its security safeguards after the 2020 election in a move that led it to be used by Donald Trump supporters storming the Capitol.
The New York Times reported on Saturday that Clegg sought to pre-empt the whistle-blower by penning a 1,500 word memo to staff alerting them of the “misleading” accusations.
Clegg pressed the case in an appearance on CNN.