Facebook whistleblower fears the metaverse

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said she fears the interaction of the metaverse that the societal media elephantine has rebranded to absorption connected delivering, saying the futuristic virtual world satellite would unit radical to springiness up much of their idiosyncratic information, beryllium addicting and springiness the embattled institution different monopoly successful the online world.

In an interrogation with The Associated Press connected Tuesday arsenic she makes a bid of appearances earlier European lawmakers drafting up rules for social media companies, Haugen said her erstwhile leader has rushed to prioritize the metaverse due to the fact that "if you don't similar the conversation, you effort to alteration the conversation."

"Facebook should person a transparency program for the metaverse earlier they commencement gathering each this stuff, due to the fact that they tin fell down a wall, they support making unforced errors, they support making things that prioritize their ain profits earlier safety," she said.

The metaverse is benignant of the net brought to life, oregon astatine slightest rendered successful 3D. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has described it arsenic a "virtual environment" you tin spell wrong of—instead of conscionable looking astatine connected a screen—and refocused the company's concern exemplary connected the futuristic virtual world world, including renaming the institution Meta. People tin meet, enactment and play, utilizing virtual world headsets, augmented world glasses, smartphone apps oregon different devices.

Haugen is simply a erstwhile merchandise manager astatine Facebook turned whistleblower whose revelations astir the company's practices person drawn planetary attention. Documents she has turned implicit to authorities and her testimony to lawmakers connected some sides of the Atlantic person revealed deep-seated problems astatine the institution and energized legislative and regulatory efforts astir the satellite to ace down connected large tech companies.

She says the societal media elephantine prioritizes engagement and idiosyncratic maturation implicit online safety. Haugen, who besides provided a immense trove of redacted interior documents to a radical of quality organizations, alleges that Facebook's systems amplify online hatred and extremism, neglect to support young people from harmful contented and the institution lacks immoderate inducement to hole the problems.

Haugen's documents person exposed an interior situation astatine the societal media giant, which provides escaped services to 3 cardinal people. Zuckerberg has dismissed Haugen's claims arsenic a "coordinated effort" to overgarment a mendacious representation of the company.

• Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen speaks during an interrogation with The Associated Press successful Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen spoke Monday to MEP's astir the antagonistic interaction of large tech companies' concern models connected users and societies and however this could beryllium tackled by the EU's integer legislation. Credit: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

• Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen speaks during an interrogation with The Associated Press successful Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen spoke Monday to MEP's astir the antagonistic interaction of large tech companies' concern models connected users and societies and however this could beryllium tackled by the EU's integer legislation. Credit: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

• Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen speaks during an interrogation with The Associated Press successful Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen spoke Monday to MEP's astir the antagonistic interaction of large tech companies' concern models connected users and societies and however this could beryllium tackled by the EU's integer legislation. Credit: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

• Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen speaks during an interrogation with The Associated Press successful Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen spoke Monday to MEP's astir the antagonistic interaction of large tech companies' concern models connected users and societies and however this could beryllium tackled by the EU's integer legislation. Credit: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

• Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen speaks during an interrogation with The Associated Press successful Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen spoke Monday to MEP's astir the antagonistic interaction of large tech companies' concern models connected users and societies and however this could beryllium tackled by the EU's integer legislation. Credit: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

• Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen speaks during an interrogation with The Associated Press successful Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. Facebook Whistleblower, Frances Haugen spoke Monday to MEP's astir the antagonistic interaction of large tech companies' concern models connected users and societies and however this could beryllium tackled by the EU's integer legislation. Credit: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

Officials successful Washington and European capitals are taking her claims seriously. European Union lawmakers questioned her intensely Monday, earlier applauding her astatine the extremity of the 2 1/2 hr hearing.

The EU is drafting caller integer rules for the 27-nation bloc that telephone for reining successful large "digital gatekeepers," requiring them to beryllium much transparent astir their algorithms that find what radical spot connected their feeds and making them much accountable for contented connected their platforms.

Haugen has already made stops successful London and Berlin to talk to officials and lawmakers and spoke astatine a tech league successful Lisbon. She besides volition code French lawmakers successful Paris connected Wednesday.

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