Facebook Spokesmen Question Haugen's Knowledge of the Company

By Ryan Tracy

Much of Frances Haugen's impact before this week came from her decision to disclose internal Facebook Inc. documents. Now that she is taking the microphone, Facebook spokespeople are questioning the breadth of her knowledge about the company. Andy Stone said on Twitter that Ms. Haugen "did not work on child safety or Instagram or research these issues and has no direct knowledge of the topic from her work at Facebook" and pointed to her testimony to that effect.

Joe Osborne disputed Ms. Haugen's characterization of the company's decision-making during the period between the November 2020 election and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The problem for Facebook is that lawmakers don't appear ready to listen to the company. At a hearing last week with the company's global head of safety, not a single senator spoke up in Facebook's defense. At Tuesday's hearing, several senators have said the company's lobbyists are fighting against legislative proposals-in contrast to the company's advertising campaign calling for updated internet regulations.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) characterized Mark Zuckerberg's reaction as "going sailing and saying 'no apologies,'" an apparent reference to an Instagram post by the Facebook CEO over the weekend.

"The time has come for action, and I think you are the catalyst for that action," Ms. Klobuchar told Ms. Haugen.

Write to Ryan Tracy at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 05, 2021 12:45 ET (16:45 GMT)

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