Stock Groups

Facebook exec will testify at Senate hearing after report finds Instagram harms teen mental health

[ad_1]

Facebook Head of Global Safety Antigone Davis speaks during a roundtable discussion on cyber safety and technology at the White House March 20, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Getty Images agreed to send Antigone Davis, global head of safety, to testify before the Senate Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection on Sept. 30, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed to CNBC.| Getty Images

Facebook agreed to send Antigone Davis, global head of safety, to testify before the Senate Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection on Sept. 30, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed to CNBC.

The Washington Post This news was first reported on Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal has published reports detailing Facebook’s internal meetings, using documents that it obtained. One of the articles that sparked anger among lawmakers revealed that Facebook conducted research showing its Instagram app had a negative impact on many teenage girls’ mental health, despite testimony from top executives in the past that only highlighted the platforms’ positive impacts. Lawmakers in both parties demanded answers from Facebook.

Instagram’s head of public policy, Karina Newton, wrote in a blog post following the report that the company is exploring ways to nudge users toward more uplifting content.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., the ranking member on the subcommittee, told CNBC last week about the upcoming hearing, saying she expected it would include representatives from Facebook, TikTok, TwitterSnap and Google-owned YouTube. The exact number of witnesses at the hearing next week, other than Facebook, is not known.

CNBC was informed by a YouTube spokesperson that the company is currently working on a date for a testimony regarding its child safety and privacy policies. YouTube claims that YouTube learned about the hearing on September 30th after other witnesses. YouTube demanded additional time for preparation, but the request was denied.

Spokespeople from the other companies were not available for comment immediately.

Blackburn claimed in an earlier CNBC interview, that members of her staff had met with a Facebook whistleblower who provided the Journal with similar documents. The Post reported that the whistleblower planned to publish her plans before the end, potentially to testify before Congress.

Blackburn’s and Facebook spokespersons did not respond immediately to inquiries about potential testimony by the whistleblower.

An earlier hearing, which was intended to concentrate on data and antitrust laws, saw lawmakers question a Facebook privacy executive regarding the Journal article. Next Thursday’s hearing will give many of these senators another opportunity to ask Facebook questions.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

WATCH: Instagram’s Mosseri talks new features and antitrust concerns

[ad_2]