Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, said Monday that CEO Mark Zuckerberg should remove himself as head of the social media giant.
Facebook would be “stronger” without Zuckerberg, Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, told reporters at the Web Summit in Lisbon.
“The reality is that Mark holds 54% of the voting shares of Facebook. He is the chairman and the CEO,” Haugen said. “And I think, at a minimum, the shareholders have the right to actually choose their CEO.”
SEVEN-FOOT BRONZE HARAMBE STATUE STARES DOWN ZUCKERBERG’S FACEBOOK
Haugen has come into the public spotlight for leaking the “Facebook Papers,” which supposedly demonstrate how the social media site amplifies hate speech and misinformation, among other problems.
“I think it is unlikely the company will change if he remains the CEO,” Haugen said. “I hope that he can see there’s so much he could do in the world, and maybe it’s a chance for someone else to take the reins.”
The allegations brought forth with the Facebook Papers portray Zuckerberg’s company as one that prioritizes profit over safety.
“I think Facebook would be stronger with someone who was willing to focus on safety, so yes,” the whistleblower said.
Zuckerberg announced Thursday that Facebook would have a parent company called Meta, with ambitions to journey into the realm of the virtual reality-based “metaverse.”
Haugen believes the company should focus more on ensuring that existing systems can run safely before it ventures into VR, according to the report.
“Instead of investing in making sure that our platforms are a minimal level of safe, they’re about to invest 10,000 engineers in video games. And I can’t imagine how this makes sense,” she said.
The social media giant has reportedly rebuked Haugen, saying it does not prioritize use growth and engagement above safety.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Washington Examiner reached out to Facebook for comment but did not receive a response.
