Mark Zuckerberg responds to claim Facebook put profits over safety: ‘just not true’

Name: Facebook whistle-blower tells US Senate the social network can change but clearly not on its own
Uploaded: 2021-10-06T02:16:24.000Z
Duration: 2 min 33 s
Description: Facebook whistle-blower tells US Senate the social network can change but clearly not on its own

Facebook CEO defends company against accusations it put profit over the well-being of users, or pushes divisive content

Came after a Facebook whistle-blower told US lawmakers the company urgently needs to be regulated

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Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. File photo: Reuters

Bloomberg

Published: 10:16am, 6 Oct 2021Updated: 1:34pm, 6 Oct 2021

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed a recent series of negative stories about the company for the first time by saying accusations that it puts profit over user safety are “just not true”.

“It’s difficult to see coverage that misrepresents our work and our motives. At the most basic level, I think most of us just don’t recognise the false picture of the company that is being painted,” he wrote in a note to employees on Tuesday that he also posted publicly.

It came shortly after whistle-blower Frances Haugen, a former employee, testified in a Senate hearing about her experience there and internal research she said showed the company prioritised profit while stoking division. Haugen appeared on 60 Minutes Sunday night, saying Facebook routinely made decisions that put business interests ahead of user safety.

“There were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook,” she said. “Facebook over and over again chose to optimise for its own interests like making more money.”

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Facebook whistle-blower tells US Senate the social network can change but clearly not on its own

Zuckerberg wrote that he was bothered by a narrative that Facebook is not worried about children’s safety. Two Senate hearings over the past week have focused on Facebook’s impact on teens and young children, including Haugen’s testimony.