Sophie Zhang said that after working at Facebook, she felt like she had “blood on her hands.” On Sunday she told CNN that she is willing to testify about the company before Congress. She even claimed that she had some information has been given to a US law enforcement agency about the Facebook by her.
Last year when Zhang was fired from Facebook last year after almost three years as a data scientist, she wrote a lengthy memo detailing how she believed the company was not doing much to combat hate and misinformation, particularly in smaller and developing countries. According to Zhang, she was fired due to performance issues at the company.
Last year, BuzzFeed News was the first one who reported memo and later formed the basis of a series of reports by The Guardian newspaper.
Following Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony to a Senate subcommittee last week, Zhang said she was motivated that there appeared to be bipartisan support for action relating to the protection of children online, she said while talking to CNN at her home in the Bay Area on Sunday.
Zhang said she has brought information about Facebook to authorities. “I provided detailed documentation regarding potential criminal violations to a U.S. law enforcement agency. My understanding is that the investigation is still ongoing,” she tweeted Sunday.
She refused to share when asked about what was the information that she shared or to which agency. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment Monday adding, “the FBI does not generally confirm, deny, or otherwise comment on information or tips we may receive from the public.”
“We have also taken down over 150 networks seeking to manipulate public debate since 2017, and they have originated in over 50 countries, with the majority coming from or focused outside of the US. Our track record shows that we crack down on abuse abroad with the same intensity that we apply in the US,” the spokesperson added.
