Facebook researchers created a dummy profile for a fictitious conservative woman named Carol Smith in 2019, and within two days the social network was steering her towards QAnon. The site recommended she join groups dedicated to conspiracy theories of various flavors within a week despite the fact that the researchers had only indicated she was interested in politics, parenting, and Christianity, according to NBC. The researchers compiled their findings on the “barrage of extreme, conspiratorial, and graphic content” in a report titled “Carol’s Journey to QAnon.” The report was part of a trove of documents made public by Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee who testified to Congress last week that the social networking company has long prioritized profits and growth over the safety of its users. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has disputed Haugen’s descriptions.
