Facebook Says "Ludicrous" To Say It Fueled US Capitol Riot
NDTV
According to the Times, Facebook's vice president of policy and global affairs Nick Clegg in his internal memo wrote that the whistleblower will insist the problems stemmed from Facebook's 2018 decision to change its News Feed to emphasize what it calls "Meaningful Social Interactions."
Facebook on Sunday dismissed as "ludicrous" suggestions it contributed to the US Capitol riot on January 6, a charge the social media giant expects will be leveled in an upcoming whistleblower interview.
Facebook's vice president of policy and global affairs Nick Clegg also vehemently pushed back at the assertion its platforms are "toxic" for teens, days after a tense recent congressional hearing in which US lawmakers grilled the company over its impact on the mental health of young users.
The world's largest social media platform has been embroiled in a firestorm brought about by an unnamed whistleblower, who has shared a trove of company documents with lawmakers and The Wall Street Journal that detail how Facebook knew its products, including Instagram, were harming girls' self-image.
The uproar was likely to continue late Sunday with the appearance of an unnamed whistleblower on news show "60 Minutes" to discuss accusations that Facebook relaxed its security safeguards after the 2020 election in a move that led it to be used by Donald Trump supporters storming the Capitol.
