A Facebook executive is pushing back on a whistleblower’s claims\u2014supported by the company’s own internal research\u2014that the social network’s products harm children and fuel polarization in the U.S.<\/b>
\nOctober 7,2021 A Facebook executive is pushing back on a whistleblower’s claims\u2014supported by the company’s own internal research\u2014that the social network’s products harm children and fuel polarization in the U.S. Monika Bickert, Facebook’s head of global policy management, told The Associated Press Wednesday that \u00ab\u00a0we do not and we have not prioritized engagement over safety.\u00a0\u00bb Bickert said the reason Facebook researches teen well-being on Instagram is so that the company can build better products and features to support them. Whistleblower Frances Haugen, however, testified before the Senate Tuesday that Facebook knows that vulnerable people are harmed by its systems and has not made meaningful changes to prevent it. The platform is designed to exploit negative emotions to keep people on the platform, she said. \u00ab\u00a0They are aware of the side effects of the choices they have made around amplification,\u00a0\u00bb Haugen said. \u00ab\u00a0They 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.\u00a0\u00bb Bickert pointed to features and tools Facebook has introduced over the years, such as hiding \u00ab\u00a0like counts\u00a0\u00bb on Instagram \u00ab\u00a0which means when you post something, if you’re a young person, you don’t have to worry about how many people are going to like your post and whether people will see that.\u00a0\u00bb But Facebook’s own researchers found that hiding like counts did not help make teenagers feel better. \u00a9 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 18 hours ago 0 Oct 05,2021 0 Oct 04,2021 2 Oct 04,2021 0 Oct 01,2021 1 12 hours ago 16 hours ago 16 hours ago 18 hours ago 18 hours ago Oct 05,2021 Oct 05,2021 Oct 04,2021 Oct 05,2021 Oct 03,2021 Oct 05,2021 11 hours ago Oct 05,2021 Sep 17,2021 Sep 10,2021 Aug 30,2021 Aug 30,2021 Aug 26,2021 Aug 24,2021<\/p>\n