KLOBUCHAR TO FACEBOOK WHISTLEBLOWER FRANCES HAUGEN: “I think the time has come for action, and I think you are the catalyst for that action”
WASHINGTON – At today’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing with Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) highlighted the urgent need for federal policies to reign in the power of big tech companies, including antitrust and privacy legislation.
“Thank you so much Ms. Haugen, for shedding a light on how Facebook time and time again has put profit over people. When their own research found that more than 13 percent of teen girls say that Instagram made their thoughts of suicide worse, what did they do? They proposed Instagram for kids,” said Klobuchar.
“I think the time has come for action, and I think you are the catalyst for that action...We have not done anything to update our privacy laws in this country, our federal privacy laws, nothing, zilch, in any major way. Why? Because there are lobbyists around every single corner of this building that have been hired by the tech industry,” Klobuchar continued.
The full transcript of remarks as given below and video available for TV download HERE and online viewing HERE.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, thank you so much Ms. Haugen, for shedding a light on how Facebook time and time again has put profit over people. When their own research found that more than 13 percent of teen girls say that Instagram made their thoughts of suicide worse, what did they do? They proposed Instagram for kids, which has now been put on pause because of public pressure.
When they found out that their algorithms are fostering polarization, misinformation, and hate, that they allowed 99 percent of their violent content to remain unchecked on their platform, including lead up to the January 6th insurrection, what did they do? They now, as we know, Mark Zuckerberg is going sailing and saying no apologies.
I think the time has come for action, and I think you are the catalyst for that action. You have said privacy legislation is not enough. I completely agree with you. But I think you know we have not done anything to update our privacy laws in this country, our federal privacy laws, nothing, zilch, in any major way. Why? Because there are lobbyists around every single corner of this building that have been hired by the tech industry.
We have done nothing when it comes to making the algorithms more transparent, allowing for the university research that you referred to. Why? Because Facebook and the other tech companies are throwing a bunch of money around this town and people are listening to them.
We have done nothing significantly passed, although we are on a bipartisan basis working in the Antitrust Subcommittee to get something done on consolidation, which you understand allows the dominant platforms to control all this, like the bullies in the neighborhood, buy out the companies that maybe could have competed with them, and added the bells and whistles. So the time for action is now.
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