Why do whistleblowers become whistleblowers npr

It also reported how separate rules allegedly apply to celebrities and politicians on the site. Facebook allowed VIP users to, for a time, avoid penalties for bad behavior, according to the report. Haugen has also detailed how she says Facebook quickly disbanded its civic integrity team — responsible for protecting the democratic process and tackling misinformation — after the U. Shortly afterward came the Jan.

Capitol, in which organizers used Facebook to help plan. As it has grown, so too have its controversies. The company faced massive blowback from users, politicians and regulators following the Cambridge Analytica debacle more than three years ago. A whistleblower named Christopher Wylie went public in exposing how millions of Facebook users' personal data was accessed, without the users' consent, by the U. The now-defunct company used this information to attempt to influence several elections around the world, including the U.

Three years later, Facebook, which has maintained no liability in the Cambridge Analytica dealings, walked away from the entire episode relatively unscathed. But critics said the FTC fine, while the largest privacy settlement in the agency's history, amounted to a slap on the wrist, given that it equated to about a month of revenue for Facebook. In , Facebook was criticized yet again for how it regulates political ads and misinformation on its platform, but no regulatory changes came of the criticism.

After the Haugen interview aired on 60 Minutes , Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal shared on Twitter , "Facebook's actions make clear that we cannot trust it to police itself. For years, Congress has been stuck in an ongoing debate over how best to regulate Big Tech — even as Facebook says its welcomes updated regulations.

The House Judiciary Committee approved the bills , but they have not been brought for a floor vote. During a hearing last week, lawmakers examined allegations that Facebook's own internal research showed its platforms are negatively affecting the mental health of millions of mostly teenage girls. You knew this was there. Search Query Show Search. Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio. Next Up:. Available On Air Stations. All Streams. We are having sporadic service interruptions to our broadcast and stream due to equipment upgrades.

Our NPR News. By Bobby Allyn. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email. Updated October 1, at PM ET A Facebook whistleblower who provided tens of thousands of internal documents to federal regulators that reportedly show that the company lied about its ability to combat hate, violence and misinformation on its platform is set to reveal her identity in a nationally broadcast interview Sunday on CBS.

The prospect was put in sharp focus on Thursday. That was an incomplete response that left many wondering what she was leaving on the table.

Copyright NPR. In a previous version of this story, at one point we say Eric Havian represents companies. He is known for defending whistleblowers.