Beyond the Screen: A Fresh Fight Against Social Media’s Shadowy Side
On September 22, former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen announced a bold new venture: a nonprofit called Beyond the Screen that will crack the code on the real harms social media can cause.
Why This Matters
- From whistleblower to watchdog – Haugen split the internet’s most‑watched cookie jar last year with a flood of leaked internal documents that exposed how the company let teen girls get tripping on Instagram and let vaccine misinformation run wild.
- Meta’s Response – The company has consistently shot back that Haugen’s view is “misleading.” But the fireball of evidence made it hard to ignore.
The Mission of Beyond the Screen
Think of it as the social‑media version of a watchdog, but with a tech‑savvy twist. The nonprofit will:
- Create a public, searchable database that tracks every way Big Tech’s operations fall short of society’s ethical expectations.
- Build a playbook of solutions for how tech giants could step up their game.
- Partner up with like‑minded groups: Project Liberty (the “blue‑prints for better social networking”) and Common Sense Media (the kids‑first media advocate).
How It Works
Picture a digital “spectrum” of social‑platform performance: every user‑reported issue turns into a data point. Researchers add context, and then the whole thing becomes a living‑document that anyone—from activists to regulators—can tap into.
Why Partners Matter
- Project Liberty proposes a new operating protocol that could reshape how platforms manage content. Think of it as a reset button for the network.
- Common Sense Media brings its long‑standing track record on safe media for children, ensuring every recommendation keeps future generations out of digital danger lanes.
What Comes Next?
Haugen says the nonprofit’s first priority will be a “broad public launch” of the database—open access, no paywalls, and every entry tagged with actionable suggestions. Then, the real magic kicks in: real‑world policy changes will ripple out from those suggestions.
Why All This Is Exciting
Every time the internet turns a corner, there’s a chance for either a scandal or a breakthrough. With Beyond the Screen, we might finally see the sensational whistleblower turn into a catalyst for systemic change—because when the truth leaks, the next step is to fix the leak.
