Broken Code

Facebook faced significant challenges. Billions of users across the globe frequented its platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp, which were praised for their ability to connect people. However, post-2016 scandals brought to light the company's potential inability to manage or fully comprehend its own platforms. Investigations by Facebook employees revealed issues more serious than initially expected: the platforms were fostering anger, turning a blind eye to human trafficking, assisting drug cartels and authoritarian regimes, and permitting influential users to bypass supposedly strict rules. Although it was feasible for the company to address these issues, employee-driven solutions were frequently delayed, diluted, or blocked, as Facebook prioritized user engagement above all else. Left with no other choice, some employees decided to become whistleblowers. In "Broken Code," Jeff Horwitz, an award-winning reporter for the Wall Street Journal, provides a gripping account of these employees and their groundbreaking revelations, unmasking the consequences of Facebook's relentless pursuit of growth.