Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen 'cautiously optimistic' about Elon Musk Twitter acquisition

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen 'cautiously optimistic' about Elon Musk Twitter acquisition

Musk has expressed interest in open sourcing Twitter's algorithm, vowed to crack down on spam bots

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen is "cautiously optimistic" that Elon Musk's $44 billion deal to take Twitter private at $54.20 per share could lead to positive change for democracy and safety on the social media platform.


Haugen made headlines last year after accusing her former employer of prioritizing profits over user safety in press interviews and testimony to Congress and sharing thousands of internal Facebook documents on topics ranging from Instagram's impact on teens to hate speech and misinformation on its platforms.

"I've maintained since my first testimony that I think a lot of the problems that we're facing on social media are a result of a business model," Haugen tells FOX Business.

She argues that Facebook struggles to address its issues because CEO Mark Zuckerberg has "surrounded himself with people who tell him what he wants to hear."

In comparison, she believes Musk is an independent thinker who can take hard feedback and has a data-driven perspective that could lead to meaningful product safety and design changes.

Haugen argues that Facebook struggles to address its issues because CEO Mark Zuckerberg has "surrounded himself with people who tell him what he wants to hear." 


"I have a feeling that Facebook is going to rationalize to itself that it can't really do anything different than it already does because of the demands of the market," Haugen says. "I think there's a huge opportunity here for Elon to really demonstrate that there's another way forward."

Musk, a self-described "free speech absolutist", has expressed interest in open sourcing Twitter's algorithm to increase transparency on the platform. Haugen says that opening the up the platform's algorithm to researchers and academics will ultimately foster more trust in Twitter.

"One of the key parts about a system as critical as Twitter for our democratic processes is whether or not people trust that the system is fair. And right now, I would say that trust in Twitter is a little bit in flux," Haugen emphasizes. "The number one most important thing [Elon] can do is institute real transparency. Transparency is how he's going to go to prove that he's acting in ways that are aligned with the public good and it’s how he's going to build trust in his ability to run the system."

Musk has also vowed to crack down on Twitter's spam bots.

"That kind of action is potentially dangerous when you have a publicly traded company because the number of users you have will go down," Haugen notes. "That's a good sign Elon is going to be wanting to do those kinds of structural changes that Twitter may have not been as brave to do when they had to have their hands tied by making sure the number of users they had went up every single quarter."


Musk's deal for Twitter is expected to close in 2022, subject to the approval of its stockholders, the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

Haugen's comments come as Facebook has shifted its focus on building the metaverse, a computer-generated environment where users will be able to work and interact with one another in virtual reality. She says the metaverse is an attempt to avoid taking responsibility for the problems on Facebook and Instagram.


"When [Mark Zuckerberg] announced the metaverse, they spent five minutes making empty platitudes about safety by design," Haugen says."We should be like, "Hey, publish your safety by design plan." Don't tell us, show us, because I think they're going to reproduce all the challenges they face on Facebook only with a platform that's more immersive and more decentralized."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
×