The Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, will give evidence to MPs and peers scrutinising the online safety bill. Haugen has released tens of thousands of internal documents highlighting Facebook’s failure to keep its users safe from harmful content.

Speaking to the Observer before the hearing, Haugen said that Mark Zuckerberg, who is Facebook’s founder had not shown any readiness to protect the public from the harm that his company has caused.

She was quoted by The Guardian as saying, “Right now, Mark [Zuckerberg] is unaccountable. He has all the control. He has no oversight, and he has not demonstrated that he is willing to govern the company at the level that is necessary for public safety.”

The Facebook whistleblower told US senators that the social media juggernaut promotes divisiveness, hurts children, and urgently needs to be controlled, prompting promises that Congress will take long-delayed action.

Haugen recently disclosed reams of internal information to authorities and The Wall Street Journal, testified on Capitol Hill, fueling one of the company’s most serious crises yet. Haugen said that she believes that Facebook’s products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy.

Also read | Facebook struggles to combat misinformation and hate speech in India: Report

Damian Collins, the Conservative MP and chair of the joint committee, was quoted by The Guardian, “Frances Haugen’s testimony so far has made it even clearer that regulatory oversight of social media platforms, from democratically elected government, is urgently needed. She will bring valuable expertise to the scrutiny process, especially as the bill should empower Ofcom to access and act on the internal research and concerns.”

According to documents from the former Facebook employee obtained by The Associated Press, Facebook has struggled to curb hateful content in India. 

The Facebook whistleblower told US senators that the social media juggernaut promotes divisiveness, hurts children, and urgently needs to be controlled, prompting promises that Congress will take long-delayed action.