Facebook whistleblower row triggers call for Mark Zuckerberg’s Senate hearing

A testimony given by a Facebook whistleblower in front of the United States Senate has triggered congressional appeals to the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg to appear before the legislative house, according to US media reports.

Frances Haugen, who for the first time was interviewed as an unmasked whistleblower on Sunday, pointed fingers at Zuckerberg, who at the time of the interview posted a video that showed him sailing with his wife, Priscilla Chan.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, who is a lawmaker from the state of Connecticut and a member of the Democratic party, said in a statement, “Mark Zuckerberg ought to be looking at himself in the mirror today, and yet, rather than taking responsibility and showing leadership, Mr. Zuckerberg is going sailing”, according to reports from CNBC.

Also Read: Whistleblower’s accusations against Facebook: Highlights of the testimony

Blumenthal, who is also the chair of the subcommittee that held Tuesday’s hearing, added, “No apologies, no admission, no action, nothing to see here. Mark Zuckerberg, you need to come before this committee you need to explain to Francis Haugen, to us, to the world and to the parents of America what you were doing and why you did it.”

Efforts to pass new regulations on social media have failed in the past, but senators said Tuesday that new revelations about Facebook show the time for inaction has passed.  

Haugen, in the United States Senate testimony on Tuesday, said Facebook knows that vulnerable people are harmed by its systems.

Also Read: Mark Zuckerberg apologises for Facebook outage; company stocks fall by 5%

She said, “They are aware of the side effects of the choices they have made around amplification”, according to reports from the Associated Press.

She added, “They know that algorithmic-based rankings, or engagement-based rankings, keeps you on their sites longer. You have longer sessions, you show up more often, and that makes them more money.”