Who should be believe in the recent Senate hearings about Facebook? Read and listen to the articles below and then answer the questions that follow and respond to your peers comments to you and comment on your peers posts. Do some of your own research too. "The former Facebook Inc. employee who gathered documents that formed the foundation of The Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files series said she acted to help prompt change at the social-media giant, not to stir anger toward it. Frances Haugen, a former product manager hired to help protect against election interference on Facebook, said she had grown frustrated by what she saw as the company's lack of openness about its platforms' potential for harm and unwillingness to address its flaws. She is scheduled to testify before Congress on Tuesday. She has also sought federal whistleblower protection with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In a series of interviews, Ms. Haugen, who left the company in May after nearly two years, said that she had come into the job with high hopes of helping Facebook fix its weaknesses. She soon grew skeptical that her team could make an impact, she said. Her team had few resources, she said, and she felt the company put growth and user engagement ahead of what it knew through its own research about its platforms' ill effects." "Several lawmakers also expressed renewed interest in transparency measures that would give the public and policy makers more understanding of how algorithms work in suggesting content to users. "I would simply say, let's get to work," said Sen. John Thune (R., S.D.), who has sponsored several measures on algorithm transparency. "We've got some things we can do here." Other suggestions from lawmakers on Tuesday included crafting comprehensive privacy protections for U.S. consumers and new competition rules for the internet age. Some senators also pressed to cut back the immunity from liability that Congress long ago conferred on online platforms for the actions of their users. But several lawmakers acknowledged that some efforts to regulate big tech already had drawn intense opposition from some major companies. "There are lobbyists around every single corner of this building that have been hired by the tech industry," Ms. Klobuchar said. "Facebook and the other big tech companies are throwing a bunch of money around this town and people are listening to them." "Mark Zuckerberg refuted Ms. Haugen and "Zuckerberg said many of the claims made by Haugen - and in the Wall Street Journal, based on documents she leaked - "don't make any sense". The most damaging reporting in the WSJ, reiterated at length by Haugen in testimony to the US Senate on Tuesday, was that Facebook failed to act on internal research showing that its Instagram app was damaging teenagers' mental health.Zuckerberg said many of the claims made by Haugen - and in the Wall Street Journal, based on documents she leaked - "don't make any sense". The most damaging reporting in the WSJ, reiterated at length by Haugen in testimony to the US Senate on Tuesday, was that Facebook failed to act on internal research showing that its Instagram app was damaging teenagers' mental health." The Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen, Says She Wants to Fix the Company, Not Harm It Jeff Horwitz, October 3, 2021 The Wall Street Journal The Facebook Files, Part 6: The Whistleblower Kate Linebaugh and Ryan Knutson, October 3, 2021 The Journal, The Wall Street Journal Mark Zuckerberg hits back at Facebook whistleblower claims Dan Milmo, October 6 The Guardian Facebook Whistleblower's Testimony Builds Momentum for Tougher Tech Laws Questions: 1. After reviewing the articles about Ms. Haugen's testimony and Mr. Zuckerberg's rebuttal in the Guardian, cite three of the most damning revelations that she shared and why are they damning? Do you find Ms. Haugen's testimony to be credible and why or why not? What about Mr. Zukerberg's rebuttal, is it credible and why or why not? 2. In recent years there has been a lot of talk about "Big Data" and its power to tailor personal communications. On the other hand, companies not only have data on our demographics and psychographics, but they have powerful data on the websites we visit, our social media habits and what we buy or like. Facebook is among the biggest most powerful data owners/users. Should our leaders in Washington regulate, Facebook, Google and other big tech companies and why or why not? 3. Let's look at an example directly impacting E-commerce. A friend of mine, Dr. J. Walker Smith, Knowledge Lead at Kantar Consulting, J Walker Smith LinkedIn Profile shared the following with me: "Facebook is a critical commercial platform for small businesses. Did you know that? Most people don't. Facebook's advertisers are small businesses not big businesses. I don't want to make life even more difficult for small businesses by dumping Facebook. In this sense, Facebook is a powerful social good." I have already mentioned that one of my friends at Domino's who spoke in some of my classes in the past, shared that Domino's is one of their most effective marketing resources. Do you believe regulating or reducing Facebook's ability to use the vast data they have and protect consumers would impact E-commerce, particularly small businesses? What support do you have and do you have any personal experiences with Facebook's E-Commerce Power? Other suggestions from lawmakers on Tuesday included crafting comprehensive privacy protections for U.S. consumers and new competition rules for the internet age. Some senators also pressed to cut back the immunity from liability that Congress long ago conferred on online platforms for the actions of their users. But several lawmakers acknowledged that some efforts to regulate big tech already had drawn intense opposition from some major companies. "There are lobbyists around every single corner of this building that have been hired by the tech industry," Ms. Klobuchar said. "Facebook and the other big tech companies are throwing a bunch of money around this town and people are listening to them." "Mark Zuckerberg refuted Ms. Haugen and "Zuckerberg said many of the claims made by Haugen - and in the Wall Street Journal, based on documents she leaked - "don't make any sense". The most damaging reporting in the WSJ, reiterated at length by Haugen in testimony to the US Senate on Tuesday, was that Facebook failed to act on internal research showing that its Instagram app was damaging teenagers' mental health.Zuckerberg said many of the claims made by Haugen - and in the Wall Street Journal, based on documents she leaked - "don't make any sense". The most damaging reporting in the WSJ, reiterated at length by Haugen in testimony to the US Senate on Tuesday, was that Facebook failed to act on internal research showing that its Instagram app was damaging teenagers' mental health
