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Zuckerberg Responds to Claims That Facebook Prioritizes Profit as ‘Just Not True’

 Part 1. Vocabulary

 

accusations

/ˌakyəˈzāSH(ə)n/ n

- a charge or claim that someone has done something illegal or wrong

Many accusations of bribery are given to government officials.

 

whistle-blower

/ˈ(h)wisəl ˌblō(ə)r/ n

- a person who informs on a person or organization engaged in an illicit activity

A whistle-blower will be placed under witness protection.

 

optimize

/ˈäptəˌmīz/ v

- make the best or most effective use of (a situation, opportunity, or resource)

To optimize viewing conditions, the microscope should be correctly adjusted.

 

narrative             

/ˈnerədiv/ n

- a spoken or written account of connected events; a story

The hero in his narrative is his own brother.

 

algorithm

/ˈalɡəˌriT͟Həm/ n

- a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer

As a computer programmer, you must be familiar with algorithms.

                               

 

Part 2. Comprehensive Questions

Who is the chief executive of Facebook Inc.?

What were the accusations that is said against Facebook?

Who was the former employee who testified in a Senate hearing about Facebook?

What is the impact of Instagram on its teenage users?

Do you consider using Facebook safely? Why?


Part 3. Article Reading

Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg addressed a recent series of negative stories about the company for the first time by saying accusations that it puts profit over user safety are “just not true.” 

“It’s difficult to see coverage that misrepresents our work and our motives. At the most basic level, I think most of us just don’t recognize the false picture of the company that is being painted,” he wrote in a note to employees on Tuesday that he also posted publicly. 

It came shortly after whistle-blower Frances Haugen, a former employee, testified in a Senate hearing about her experience there and internal research she said showed the company prioritized profit while stoking division. Haugen appeared on “60 Minutes” Sunday night, saying Facebook routinely made decisions that put business interests ahead of user safety. 

“There were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook,” she said. “Facebook over and over again chose to optimize for its own interests like making more money.” 

Zuckerberg wrote that he was bothered by a narrative that Facebook is not worried about children’s safety. Two Senate hearings over the past week have focused on Facebook’s impact on teens and young children, including Haugen’s testimony. 

The Wall Street Journal published internal Facebook research last month, provided by Haugen, that showed Instagram made some mental health issues worse for teenagers who use the product. The company, which was building a version of Instagram for children, has put that project on hold.

“When it comes to young people’s health or well-being, every negative experience matters,” the CEO wrote. “We have worked for years on industry-leading efforts to help people in these moments and I’m proud of the work we’ve done.” 

Facebook doesn’t benefit from content that makes people angry or depressed or make all product decisions to maximize user interactions, Zuckerberg said. When it changed its News Feed algorithm to show more posts from friends and family a few years back, the CEO added, the company did so knowing that people would spend less time on the service. 

Zuckerberg ended the note by encouraging Facebook’s workforce and expressing his gratitude for their work.

 

Source: By Kurt Wagner, 5 October 2021, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/

 

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