Senator Blumenthal says Facebook is deceitful, calls for accountability

Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) tore into Facebook, calling the company’s stated attitudes on regulation a sham. “What we are hearing from Facebook is platitudes and bromides," Blumenthal stated. "When it says it wants regulation, at the same time it is fighting that regulation tooth and nail, day and night, with armies of lawyers, millions of dollars in lobbying. And so, I must say, Facebook saying it wants regulation is the height of disingenuousness.“ The senator’s remarks come after the recent revelations by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, as well as widespread reporting about a range of issues with Facebook, including the worldwide proliferation of hate speech on the platform. Blumenthal again called for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to follow Haugen and testify on Capitol Hill, and he also sought the full disclosure of internal files on Facebook‘s practices. “What we are seeing here is a building drumbeat for accountability,” he said. “A movement for reform that will require disclosure of the powerful algorithms that drive destructive content to children and others, the hate speech in foreign countries, but also the anger and depression that is amplified by those algorithms as it leads children down rabbit holes.”