Facebook is reported to slow down the development of its products so that it can do “reputation reviews” after Whistleblower Frances Disclosure of Haugen about the company.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook has “delayed some work on existing products” while the employee team analyzes how the work can damage their reputation. The group is looking at potential negative effects in children, and criticism that can be faced by the company.
Zuckerberg alluded to change in a statement on Tuesday – the first since the disclosure of the Whistleblower became public. “I believe that in the long run if we continue to try to do what is right and provide experience that improves people’s lives, it will be better for our community and our business,” he wrote. “I have asked leaders throughout the company to make deep dives on our work in many fields for the next few days so you can see everything we did to get there.”
Change is one of the clearest signs but about how many Disclosures Haugen has shaken the company in recent weeks. Facebook has been “paused” on the application of Instagram children, after the WSJ report about the company’s research that shows Instagram is dangerous for some teen mental health. Although Facebook has tried to understone his own research, the pressure had been installed since Haugen, a former product manager, stepped forward and testified in the three-hour senate session this week.
He told Zuckerberg lawmakers and other executives have prioritized the growth of social networks for user safety, and that the company has misled the public about the AI-based moderation technology. He was called on Facebook to make his research available more, and urged Congress to impose new regulations on the platform.