Democratic presidential contender Kamala Harris took aim at Facebook Sunday, saying the social media giant doesn’t act in the best interest of its users.
The California senator said in a CNN interview the company has prioritized its own growth instead of consumers’ privacy.
“There’s no question in my mind there needs to be serious regulation and that has not been happening,” she said.
The ubiquitous company has come under scrutiny for Russian use of the platform as part of its efforts to manipulate voter sentiment during the 2016 presidential election. The company cracked down on Russia-linked accounts both on Facebook and Instagram, the social photo sharing app it also owns, ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
[Related: Facebook co-founder urges government to break up social media giant]
When asked if regulators should break up Facebook, Harris said officials should “seriously take a look at that, yes.”
“When you look at the issue, they’re essentially a utility. Very few people can get by and be involved in their communities or society or in whatever their profession without somehow, somewhere using Facebook,” she said. “It’s very difficult for people to be engaged any level of commerce without it. We have to recognize it for what it is. It is essentially a utility that has gone unregulated. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s got to stop.”
