Facebook exec: We do not prioritize engagement over safety

By BARBARA ORTUTAY
AP Technology Writer

A Facebook executive is pushing back on a whistleblower’s claims — supported by the company’s own internal research — that the social network’s products harm children and fuel polarization in the U.S. Monika Bickert, Facebook’s head of global policy management, told The Associated Press Wednesday that Facebook does not prioritized engagement over safety. Bickert says the reason Facebook researches teen well-being on Instagram is so that it can build better products and features to support them. Whistleblower Frances Haugen, however, testified before the Senate Tuesday that Facebook knows that vulnerable people are harmed by its systems and has not made meaningful changes to prevent it.