Ex-Facebook employee criticizes Zuckerberg’s statements about the safety of the metaverse


A former Facebook product manager criticized Zuckerberg’s statement about the security of the metaverse, which is planned to be used to effectively target targeted advertising.

Frances Haugen, a former employee of Meta, formerly known as Facebook, criticized Mark Zuckerberg’s “grand promises” that the metaverse created would have a high level of protection for users’ personal data.

“They made grandiose promises that the metaverse was meant to be secure. But if they don’t take action on transparency, access and accountability, they’ll just see a repeat of all the harm that Facebook is now being blamed for,” Haugen said.

The metaverse, she said, would require the installation of “intrusive” hardware such as sensors, microphones, and cameras in homes and possibly public spaces to collect data to replicate reality in the digital world.

So the amount and types of data a company will be able to collect will be staggering. Haugen reaffirmed her concerns about user privacy and protection. She stated that the main goal of the company is to create the most detailed picture of the world of its users in order to show them targeted ads.

“If Facebook spies on us at home, then we really don’t have a choice,” she said. “In order for us to trust a company, we need to know that it cares about the safety of its users.”

Haugen noted that companies like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft have already launched “personal assistants” with the sole purpose of getting to know their users better through data collection. In her opinion, they do all this to increase profits and develop the business.

A former Meta employee warns that the company is ready to go even further. She envisions users being fully immersed in virtual reality through the use of hardware such as VR headsets and gloves.

Last week, Meta revealed that it was considering launching its own cryptocurrency, this time not in a regulated traditional market, but in the metaverse.

Source: Bits

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