Whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee responsible for leaks linked to Facebook鈥檚 struggles with user misinformation and safety, says the company should be prioritising online safety over the new Meta restructure.
The parent company for Facebook announced its rebrand to Meta last week, CEO Zuckerberg detailing plans for creating a digital world known as the 鈥渕etaverse鈥�. Zuckerberg stated that 鈥淲e believe the metaverse will be the successor of the mobile internet,鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檒l be able to feel present 鈥� like we鈥檙e right there with people no matter how far apart we actually are.”
This rebrand has come as the company faces serious PR and regulatory challenges, including the documents leaked by Haugen. These documents included the company鈥檚 knowledge of its negative, long-term impact on public health, and other questionable business practices.
Haugen, speaking at Lisbon鈥檚 Web Summit, criticised Zuckerberg鈥檚 鈥涡苍肠辞苍蝉肠颈辞苍补产濒别鈥� move pushing forward with the metaverse concept rather than focusing attention on its current safety issues.
When asked if the Meta CEO should step down, the Guardian reports, Haugen claimed 鈥淚 think Facebook will be stronger with someone who is willing to focus on safety, so yes,鈥�
However, Haugen was also reported commenting that 鈥淢ark holds 54% of the voting shares in Facebook. He is the chairman and the CEO and I think that at a minimum the shareholders have the right to actually choose their CEO. And so I think it is unlikely the company will change if he remains the CEO.鈥�
鈥淎nd I hope that he can see that there is so much good he could do in the world, and maybe it鈥檚 a chance for someone else to maybe take the reins.鈥�听
A Meta spokesperson has responded to Haugen鈥檚 comments, stating that 鈥淲e are on track to spend more than $5bn on safety and security in 2021 鈥� more than any other tech company 鈥� and have 40,000 people to do one job: keep people safe on our apps.鈥�
