Facebook is ramping up its fight against leakers following the exposures of whistleblower Frances Haugen. According to The New York Times, Facebook is limiting access to some internal groups that deal with “ sensitive” issues like safety and choices. That the change, which was made to help farther leaks, incontinently blurted is both largely entertaining and representational of some of the bigger issues the company is presently facing.
Ever since Haugen revealed herself as the whistleblower, one of the further noteworthy aspects of her story is that the documents she handed to Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission were extensively accessible to workers. The documents included slides detailing the company’s exploration into teen internal health, as well as multitudinous memos about how the company has handled rules for Superstars, misinformation and other thorny issues.
As The Times points out, the reason these documents were so readily available is because Facebook has long had an open culture that promotes sharing. And workers themselves frequently take to its internal communication platform, Workplace, to bandy controversial issues facing the company.
But now the social network is moving down from that openness. The company is making some internal groups private, and will remove workers “ whose work is n’t related to safety and security,” according to the report. “ Sensitive Integrity conversations will be in unrestricted, curated forums in the future,” the company told workers in a memo.
On one hand, the fact that news of the change incontinently blurted would feel to back up that the company is in fact more dense than it has been in times past. But it could also gesture adding uneasiness among workers, some of whom are reportedly concerned that walling off brigades that work on important issues could eventually do further detriment than good.
It also underscores just how important Facebook is still reeling from Haugen’s exposures. In addition to the Senate hail last week, Haugen is anticipated to brief the select commission probing theJan. 6th revolution, as well as European lawgivers probing the company. The SEC also appears to be probing her claims.