Facebook’s own research about the harms of youthful Instagram use was one of the most explosive aspects of the Wall Street Journal series based on Frances Haugen’s revelations
A Facebook logo is displayed on a smartphone. Picture: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC
When there were “conflicts of interest between profits and the common good and public safety, Facebook consistently chose to prioritise its profits,” Frances Haugen told Congress at a public hearing on October 5. “I realised we needed to get help from the outside, that the only way these problems would be solved is by solving them together, not solving them alone.”
Haugen’s overarching point: Facebook needs to make big product changes that, she said, would probably lead to less engagement, a decline in advertising dollars, and ultimately less profit. She called out one of the core aspects of the social network’s experience, its “engagement-based ranking” system that determines what people see in their news feeds.
Another idea that Facebook has partially implemented is the removal of “like counts” showing how many people reacted to posts on Instagram, a feature that’s been linked to the social anxiety that the product causes, particularly in teens. After toying with the idea for years, the company said recently it would allow people the option to hide the like counts.
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