Facebook’s executives, including Mark Zuckerberg have repeatedly told US lawmakers that they welcome government regulation. Facing scrutiny for their internal policy decisions, they have asked politicians to draw the line on harmful content.
But in her prepared Senate testimony, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen plans to argue that Facebook’s lack of transparency makes it impossible for regulators to meaningfully serve as a check on the powerful global platform.
“This inability to see into the actual systems of Facebook and confirm that Facebook’s systems work like they say is like the department of transportation regulating cars by watching them drive down the highway,†her testimony says, according to Reuters. “Imagine if no regulator could ride in a car, pump up its wheels, crash test a car, or even know that seat belts could exist.â€
“Facebook’s closed design means it has no oversight,†Haugen’s testimony says.
And the company’s oversight board, which Facebook created, is “as blind as the publicâ€, the testimony says.
Ceclia Kang, one of the authors of An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination, highlighted another part of this argument: