Facebook Faces Big Tobacco In A Jaw-Dropping Moment Of Truth” — Senator Richard Blumenthal, at a hearing on whistleblowers
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Facebook Faces Big Tobacco In A Jaw-Dropping Moment Of Truth” — Senator Richard Blumenthal, at a hearing on whistleblowers
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) stated Tuesday that Facebook is facing a “big tobacco, jaw-dropping moment of truth” as a significant cache of internal whistleblower documents indicate the business put profits ahead of children’s safety when it knew it was harming them.
He began a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing by congratulating former Facebook executive Frances Haugen for
“standing up to one of the most powerful, unforgiving organizations in the world” by thanking her for “standing up to one of the most powerful, implacable corporations in the world.”
Facebook Mark Zuckerberg
“However, you are not alone here. You have documents and information that speak loudly about how Facebook benefits off its users,” he remarked.
Last month, the Wall Street Journal published a series of scathing investigative investigations based on information provided by Haugen.
They sparked outrage by implying that Facebook platforms injure kids in many ways and that they are aware of it. It sparked a hearing on Capitol Hill last week with Antigone Davis, Facebook’s Director, Global Head of Safety.
Senator Blumenthal stated that The study revealed in the documents, Davis claimed,
“is hardly a bombshell.” This study is the exact definition of a surprise. Facebook is in the midst of a major cigarette crisis. I was a key figure in the tobacco xx When we discovered those papers, I recall thinking to myself,
“They did study [proving tobacco is hazardous] and kept it hidden.”
Blumenthal, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, was a pioneer in exposing big tobacco’s dangers.
“Facebook is aware that its products can be harmful to children… but they place a higher value on profit than the suffering that these products cause,” he said.
According to him, the SEC and the FTC should look into whether Facebook violated the law.
He said the SEC and the FTC should also investigate if Facebook had misled investors
Credit: Deadline