What is the verification status of this claim?

This claim is currently marked as "CONFIRMED". The verification is based on 2 primary sources and 2 total sources reviewed by the They Knew community.

Who originally made this claim?

This claim was made by Frances Haugen (Facebook), Facebook Whistleblower & Data Scientist, on or around 2021-10-03.

How many sources support this claim?

There are 2 total sources associated with this claim, of which 2 are primary sources (court documents, FOIA releases, official records).

Facebook knowingly designed addictive features and prioritized engagement over user safety — documented evidence

🟢 CONFIRMED

Frances Haugen, a former Facebook data scientist, leaked tens of thousands of internal documents in 2021 showing Facebook knew its algorithms promoted divisive and harmful content because it drove engagement. Internal research showed Instagram was toxic for teen girls. Despite knowing this, the company chose profits over safety. Haugen testified before Congress and the SEC, leading to the company rebranding as Meta.

Facebook knowingly designed addictive features and prioritized engagement over user safety

TECH·October 3, 2021·By Frances Haugen (Facebook)·3.3K upvotes·97 comments

What They Said Was Crazy

“Facebook's own research shows their products harm users, especially teens, and they chose profits over people. The algorithm is designed to addict.”

— Frances Haugen (Facebook)October 3, 2021Source

📄 The Receipts

★

PRIMARYFacebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen Testifies (60 Minutes / CBS)

www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-whistleblower-france...

ARTICLEOpen

★

PRIMARYThe Facebook Files (Wall Street Journal investigation)

www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-1163171303...

DOCUMENTOpen

⚖️ The Record, Side by Side

What they said vs. what the evidence shows

What They Said

“The argument that we deliberately push content that makes people angry for profit is deeply illogical. We make money from ads, and advertisers don't want their ads next to harmful content.”

— Mark Zuckerberg / Meta · Oct 2021

What Actually Happened

PrimaryARTICLE

Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen Testifies (60 Minutes / CBS)

View

PrimaryDOCUMENT

The Facebook Files (Wall Street Journal investigation)

View

🙈 They Laughed At Us

“The argument that we deliberately push content that makes people angry for profit is deeply illogical. We make money from ads, and advertisers don't want their ads next to harmful content.”

— Mark Zuckerberg / Meta, 2021