Facebook Whistleblower Steps Forward to Tell Her Story

(ConservativeHub.com) – No one could have imagined the horrors associated with the rise of Facebook. When it first came on the scene, people saw its development as a positive way to exchange ideas in a more open environment than anything provided by private emails and messaging boards. However, Facebook quickly became a platform for terrorist organizations and questionable regimes to expand their power bases. Now, Facebook whistleblower Sophie Zhang appears to be throwing a wrench into those efforts.

Facebook fired Zhang in late 2020 after she posted a nearly 8,000-word memo on her website detailing the alleged use of fake Facebook accounts by global leaders and political parties to spread false information and sway public opinion. Her report allegedly revealed how little the platform has done to keep these kinds of campaigns under control.

Zhang posted the memo behind a password only available to Facebook employees, and when Facebook asked her to remove the post, she refused.

I profiled Facebook whistleblower @szhang_ds, a former data scientist whose extraordinary moral courage gave us an unparalleled look into how the platform enables global political manipulation. Her story is as remarkable as her actions. https://t.co/Oxbh0Siy8P

— Karen Hao (@_KarenHao) July 29, 2021

Ms. Zhang’s hosting company took down her website in late 2020 after Facebook lodged an official complaint. On July 29, the MIT Technology Review published an overview of an interview with Zhang, which revealed stunning new information. Zhang alleged that Facebook offered her a $64,000 severance package as part of an effort to buy her silence.

The package reportedly included a nondisparagement agreement, but Zhang says she refused to accept the one-time payment. Concerned about the possible impact her memo might have on the 2020 general elections, she waited until April before going public with her memo.

At this point, nothing from Zhang’s memo has been proven. However, it’s not inconsistent with other known allegations against Facebook. At the very least, her story raises eyebrows among individuals already concerned with Facebook’s power and lack of accountability.