Facebook Files: Whistleblower Frances Haugen shows need for democratic rules for the online world, says Chair Anna Cavazzini 

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The Chair of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, Anna Cavazzini, issued the following statement after the hearing with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen:

“With thousands of internal documents, whistleblower Frances Haugen has provided evidence of what we have suspected for years: Facebook is knowingly causing harm as a business model. On a societal level, the platform endangers our democracies, and on an individual level, Facebook puts vulnerable groups like children at risk. Today's hearing with Frances Haugen in the European Parliament showed us once again how urgently we need democratic rules for the online world.

A private platform like Facebook must not dictate the rules of the internet. The Facebook Files also show that self-regulation of internet giants, which are so powerful in the market, does not work. We need to address recommender algorithms for large online platforms so that it is clear why we see what. We also need more choice here, so that we can decide for ourselves whether content is displayed chronologically or pre-sorted by algorithms.

With the Digital Services Act, the European Union is on the right track to combat hate speech and disinformation online. We must look at business models such as advertising, which is at the core of the platforms' business model and which pushes clicks, attention and sensation, not facts. Frances Haugen's testimony will inform our ongoing work on the Digital Services Act”.