October 4, 2021
A Facebook whistleblower who handed over thousands of internal documents to federal regulators that allegedly prove the social media giant lied about its ability to curb hate, violence and misinformation on its platform revealed her identity on Sunday on CBS.
The former Facebook employee is also scheduled to testify before Congress on Tuesday that the technology giant “turning a blind eye” to damage caused by its products, including the impact on teenage mental health.
This raises the question: Will Facebook retaliate?
Lawyer Andrew Bakaj, who is representing the whistleblower, said Facebook should think twice before targeting his client.
“We have made lawful, protected disclosures to the Securities and Exchange Commission and to Congress. Such disclosures are protected both by law and Facebook’s own internal policies,” Bakaj said. “Retaliating against a whistleblower is not only unlawful, it will have a chilling effect on future whistleblowers, something I would expect both the SEC and Congress to take seriously.”
Whistleblower lawyers not involved in the Facebook case said the social media giant could file a breach of contract lawsuit if the former employee signs a nondisclosure agreement, which is common in Silicon Valley.
For more information, you may view the original story from NPR.
