Facebook whistleblower: firm places profits over users

Haugen (pic) said she was sounding the alarm over the company’s practices after seeing repeated evidence that Facebook prioritises profits over the well-being of its users. — CBS News/60 Minutes via AP

A former Facebook Inc product manager has become one of the company’s highest-profile critics after exposing thousands of internal documents she said showed the social media giant failed to protect users.

Frances Haugen, who tackled misinformation on the platform, turned over internal research to US lawmakers and the Wall Street Journal, which reported the company knew, but didn’t disclose, the negative impact of services like Instagram. She said she was sounding the alarm over the company’s practices after seeing repeated evidence that Facebook prioritises profits over the well-being of its users.