Facebook officials knew for years that recommendations could lead users into conspiracy theories-addled rabbit hole. Frances Haugen, a whistleblower from Facebook, has now provided documents.
According to an internal report, which was reported by NBC News, The Wall Street Journala l, and others on Friday, it took Facebook just five days to start recommending QAnon group and other disturbing content for a fictional account. Carol's Journey To QAnon, the document was also found in a cache of records that Haugen provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission as part her whistleblower complaint.
According to the report, it describes how a Facebook researcher created a new account for Carol. She liked a few mainstream pages but not enough conservative ones. Facebook's algorithms started suggesting fringe and conspiracy content. Carol began to see groups that had overt QAnon affiliations and conspiracy theories about white genocide within five days of joining Facebook.
For a long time, it was well-known that Facebook's recommendations had been fueling QAnon conspiracy theories. Journalists and researchers have also documented the rise in fringe conspiracy theories during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. The documents reveal that Facebook researchers raised the alarm about conspiracy theories before the pandemic. The Wall Street Journal reports that researchers suggested ways to prevent or slow down re-shared content, but Facebook officials generally refused to do so.
Facebook did not immediately respond to queries about the document. In a long statement on Friday evening, Facebook's VP for Integrity stated that they have been working since 2016 to invest into people, technologies and policies to make sure we are ready. They also began planning for 2020 two years ahead of the election. Rosen outlined the many measures Facebook took over the months and weeks leading to the 2020 election, including the ban on QAnon and militia organizations. However, he didn't address the company's recommendations before the October 2020 ban.
