The public has long suspected Facebook of two-faced toxicity. What was lacking was the proof—until now
a twenty-first century American hero,” Ed Markey, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, said on October 5th. He was not addressing the founder of one of the country’s largest companies, Facebook, but the woman who found fault with it.
Senators, who cannot agree on such uncontroversial things as paying for the government’s expenses, united against a common enemy and promised Ms Haugen that they would hold Facebook to account. Could that happen at last? This new whistleblowing incident could be a turning point, says Blair Levin, a former chief-of-staff to the Federal Communications Commission and now of New Street Research, a private company. Social media’s harmful effects on children and teenagers is a concern that transcends partisanship and is easier to understand than sneaky data-gathering, viral misinformation and other social-networking sins.
However, Ms Haugen’s most significant impact on big tech may be inspiring others to come forward and blow the whistle on their employers’ practices. Whistleblower Aid, a legal support group that has helped Ms Haugen’s case, has seen more inbound calls since her revelations were made public. “A case like this one opens the floodgates and will trigger hundreds more cases,” predicts Steve Kohn, a lawyer who has represented several high-profile whistleblowers.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why the Facebook Files Aftermath Will Disappoint Big-Tech CriticsNew VIP+ Analysis: Regardless of the scrutiny this latest scandal has caused, Facebook will still likely escape relatively unscathed.
Read more »
Opinion | Why it's so hard to quit FacebookSaying goodbye to an old friend, even one who has disappointed and angered you over and over, is difficult.
Read more »
Why This Facebook Scandal Might, Might Just Be DifferentAfter a whistleblower drew new attention to Facebook’s lack of interest in curbing its worst aspects, karaswisher and profgalloway discussed whether the company's latest crisis might end up actually mattering
Read more »
Regina King explains why her new role is like nothing she's done beforeRegina King shares why she was hesitant to sign on to her upcoming film 'The Harder They Fall' and what she hopes viewers will take away from the Western.
Read more »
Granderson: Why bacon is off the menuOnce a simple pleasure, bacon is now a splurge that fewer and fewer can afford.
Read more »
Opinion | Why China is flying an unprecedented number of warplanes near TaiwanThe last thing Washington should do is overreact and assume China is on the brink of ordering a full-scale military campaign.
Read more »