Media: Press Release

IAP Statement on Facebook Whistleblower Testimony

October 5, 2021

WASHINGTON — Mike Davis, Founder and President of the Internet Accountability Project, issued the following statement on the Facebook whistleblower’s testimony on Capitol Hill today.

“Privacy is one of our most sacred values. Facebook has clearly violated every user’s privacy, and it continues to cause irreparable harm, especially to America’s teens. Facebook cannot be trusted to regulate itself, and it is too big to be regulated by the government. Frances Haugen’s testimony shows why we need Congress to enact antitrust measures against monopolists like Facebook so there can finally be real competition and accountability. That’s why the Internet Accountability Project supports bipartisan legislation passed out of the House Judiciary Committee that would strengthen our antitrust laws and rein in Big Tech. Congress must act now and break up Big Tech.

“The FTC should also use this hearing as a basis to reopen the 2019 privacy consent decree and use this latest testimony as evidence of an order violation. Through that process, the FTC can re-review documents from the investigation and quickly consider additional penalties against Facebook. The days of slap-on-the-wrist penalties and injunctions are over. Mark Zuckerberg needs to be subpoenaed as part of the reopened investigation and should be held personally liable. Back in 2019, Facebook paid $5 billion to make this issue go away, but the problem did not. The pain inflicted on these kids is immeasurable, and the consequences must be significant.”

IAP is a nonprofit conservative advocacy group that holds Big Tech accountable for engaging in egregious business practices like snooping, spying, political bias against conservatives, employee abuses and anticompetitive conduct. Davis previously served as Chief Counsel for Nominations to Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary and led the Senate confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh and a record number of circuit court judges. More information on Davis and IAP can be found here.