Technology

Jan 6 Committee To Meet With Facebook Whistleblower: REPORT

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The Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots is set to meet with former Facebook product manager and whistleblower Frances Haugen as soon as Thursday, CNN reported.

Haugen, who worked on Facebook’s Civic Misinformation team preceding, during and in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, leaked documents to The Wall Street Journal and lawmakers to show, among other things, that Facebook’s algorithms amplified “hateful” and “divisive” content. In her testimony before a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Tuesday and in whistleblower complaints filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Haugen alleged Facebook prioritized profit over safety in its moderation of content by dissolving its Civic Misinformation team after the 2020 election.

Haugen will meet with the Select Committee to discuss how content on Facebook contributed to the Jan. 6 riots, CNN reported.

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, who serves on the Select Committee, tweeted Monday that the committee was investigating Facebook’s involvement in permitting misinformation he alleged contributed to the events on Jan. 6.

“According to this Facebook whistleblower, shutting down the civic integrity team and turning off election misinformation tools contributed to the Jan 6 insurrection,” Schiff wrote. “The Select Committee will need to hear from her, and get internal info from Facebook to flesh out their role.”

The Select Committee had previously asked Facebook in August to hand over internal documents and communications related to its handling of content preceding the Jan. 6 riots, a request with which Facebook indicated it may comply. The committee also asked Facebook and companies such as Twitter, 4chan, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Google to preserve private communications records and personal data of particular individuals, including lawmakers, related to the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6.

Haugen said in an interview with “60 Minutes” on Sunday that Facebook’s decision to disband its Civic Misinformation team contributed to the Jan. 6 riots by removing “controls” that were used to stop the spread of “misinformation.”

The Select Committee and Frances Haugen did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.