Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlights
CTV
A former Facebook employee told members of Congress Tuesday that the company knows that its platform spreads misinformation and content that harms children but refuses to make changes that could hurt its profits.
Speaking before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen told lawmakers that new regulations are needed to force Facebook to improve its own platforms. But she stopped short of calling for a breakup of the company, saying it wouldn't fix existing problems and would instead turn Facebook into a "Frankenstein" that continues to cause harm around the world while a separate Instagram rakes in most advertising dollars.
Efforts to pass new regulations on social media have failed in the past, but senators said Tuesday that new revelations about Facebook show the time for inaction has ended.
Here are some key highlights from Tuesday's hearing.
Haugen said Facebook knows that vulnerable people are harmed by its systems, from kids who are susceptible to feel bad about their bodies because of Instagram to adults who are more exposed to misinformation after being widowed, divorced or experiencing other forms of isolation such as moving to a new city.
Across the southern U.S., millions of residents woke up Friday to a rare chance to bust out the mittens and snow pants thanks to a cold snap that dumped snow in their backyards.
On Friday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on TikTok’s legal challenge to the law, which the company claims violates its First Amendment rights and those of its 170 million American users
A Canadian teen is reaching audiences around the world with powerful social media videos showing life without hands and feet – the price she paid after developing sepsis.
A New Brunswick nurse is ‘set for life’ after winning a $675,000 lottery prize last month.
Firefighters hoped for a break Friday from fierce winds that have fueled massive blazes in the Los Angeles area, killing 10 people, obliterating whole neighborhoods and setting the nation's second-largest city on edge.
A Manitoba researcher was part of a historic research team that uncovered the oldest ice core ever retrieved.
BC Children’s Hospital says a 13-year-old girl with avian flu was discharged Tuesday after weeks in hospital.
In 1978, President Carter signed into law a bill that legalized homebrewing. Like most inventions, this new style of ale didn't stay inside garages for long.
Automakers pulled out all the stops to showcase their latest advances for in-vehicle experiences at CES, the Consumer Technology Association’s annual trade show of all things tech, in Las Vegas this week.
A series of wildfires are searing through the Los Angeles area, forcing many to evacuate their homes. Here's everything that happened throughout Jan. 8.
Meta’s plans to ditch fact-checking on Instagram and Facebook is stirring up quite the debate.
Two workers at a state-run hospital in West Virginia have been charged in connection with the death of a 61-year-old non-verbal man who investigators said was left in a scalding hot bath for nearly an hour.
Budget-conscious buyers looking for luxury alternatives have flocked to Walmart's Birkin bag look-alike, nicknamed the 'Wirkin.'
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday it has opened a probe into 2.6 million Tesla vehicles in the United States over reports of crashes involving a feature that allows users to move their cars remotely.
California firefighters battled wind-whipped wildfires that tore across the Los Angeles area, destroying homes, clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled and straining resources as the fires burned uncontained early Wednesday.
Lake Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi, Kenya is becoming increasingly unnavigable. Water hyacinth, the world's most widespread invasive species, is blanketing the lake, choking its fish and leaving people stranded.
Drinking coffee has repeatedly been linked with better heart health and prolonged life. But the benefits of coffee consumption could depend on when you drink it, new research has found.
On one of the most challenging days of Hannah White’s life, she found peace in the generosity and determination of several Delta Air Lines employees who went to great lengths to ensure that she was able to spend another precious 24 hours with her mom.