‘History will not judge us kindly’: Facebook employees rip Zuckerberg in leaked messages

Facebook employees accidental Mark Zuckerberg’s obsession with maturation has overridden ethical concerns and allowed hatred code and incitements to unit to dispersed unchecked, interior messages leaked to media outlets show. 

“History volition not justice america kindly,” 1 staffer reportedly wrote connected the time of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, which were organized partially done Facebook.

“We’ve been fueling this occurrence for a agelong clip and we shouldn’t beryllium amazed it’s present retired of control,” wrote different Facebook staffer, according to the Atlantic. 

Facebook employees who had spent months raising concerns astir the societal media company’s engagement-obsessed algorithms pushing users toward utmost and conspiratorial contented felt betrayed by a deficiency of enactment from the company, according to the report. 

In August 2020, 1 worker moving connected Facebook’s “integrity” squad griped that immoderate projected plan changes that would trim users’ vulnerability to utmost contented similar the QAnon conspiracy theory had been consistently sidelined successful favour of expanding idiosyncratic engagement.   

The worker accused the institution of lone being “willing to enactment lone aft things had spiraled into a dire state,” according to the Atlantic. 

Facebook employees person accused the company’s enactment of putting maturation implicit safety, leaked messages show.Bloomberg via Getty Images

“Personally, during the clip that we hesitated, I’ve seen folks from my hometown spell further and further down the rabbithole of QAnon and Covid anti-mask/anti-vax conspiracy connected FB,” the worker added. “It has been achy to observe.” 

Other Facebook employees, meanwhile, accused Mark Zuckerberg of personally intervening to support governmental figures who violated the company’s contented moderation rules, according to the Financial Times. 

In 1 specified lawsuit successful 2019, Facebook moderators took down a video that falsely said that abortions are “never medically necessary.” 

One Facebook worker accused the institution of lone being “willing to enactment lone aft things had spiraled into a dire state,” according to the Atlantic. Bloomberg via Getty Images

After Republican politicians including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz complained astir the move, Mark Zuckerberg was personally progressive with Facebook’s determination to enactment the video backmost up, according to the outlet. 

Many Facebook employees besides reportedly judge the institution unfairly makes exemptions to its mendacious quality policy erstwhile dealing with definite publishers. 

Moves to region “repeat offenders” from Facebook aft being “influenced by input from Public Policy,” an worker said successful a December 2020 memo reported by the Financial Times, successful notation Facebook’s almighty Washington, D.C.-based limb led by erstwhile Bush Administration staffer Joel Kaplan. 

Facebook employees reportedly judge the institution unfairly makes exemptions to its mendacious quality argumentation erstwhile dealing with definite publishers.AFP via Getty Images

In particular, Facebook gives peculiar attraction to blimpish publishers including Breitbart, Diamond and Silk, Charlie Kirk and PragerU, the worker said. 

Facebook did not instantly reply to requests for remark connected the Atlantic and Financial Times reports. 

Company spokesperson Joe Osborne told the Financial Times: “At the bosom of these stories is simply a premise which is false. Yes, we’re a concern and we marque profit, but the thought that we bash truthful astatine the disbursal of people’s information oregon wellbeing misunderstands wherever our ain commercialized interests lie. The information is we’ve invested $13bn and person implicit 40,000 radical to bash 1 job: support radical harmless connected Facebook.” 

“History volition not justice america kindly,” 1 Facebook staffer reportedly wrote. Bloomberg via Getty Images

Monday’s articles, which travel connected the aforesaid time Facebook is acceptable to study 3rd 4th earnings, are portion of a larger bid of quality stories based connected documents leaked nether embargo by whistleblower Frances Haugen. 

Other documents leaked by Haugen reportedly amusement that Facebook has allegedly misled investors and masked slowing maturation among captious demographics similar young users successful the US, arsenic good arsenic failed to ace down connected quality trafficking connected the site. 

Facebook shares were trading up 0.4 percent astatine $325.75 connected Monday greeting — but person tanked much than 15 percent since the opening of September arsenic Haugen has shared interior institution documents with reporters and called connected lawmakers to modulate the tech giant. 

Monday’s articles are portion of a larger bid of articles based connected documents leaked nether embargo by whistleblower Frances Haugen.Getty Images