How Whistleblowers Have Put Big Tech On The Back Foot : 1A – NPR

Cambridge Analytica former employee and whistleblower Christopher Wylie is sworn in before he testifies at the Senate Judiciary Committee on Cambridge Analytica and data privacy. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Cambridge Analytica former employee and whistleblower Christopher Wylie is sworn in before he testifies at the Senate Judiciary Committee on Cambridge Analytica and data privacy.

As the power of Silicon Valley's tech companies has grown, so too has the number of people willing to air their dirty laundry.

Facebook is the latest in the line of fire after whistleblower Francis Haugen's congressional testimony in early October.

Haugen accused the company of spreading disinformation for profit and manipulating consumer data, specifically that of teenage girls.

Apple is also reeling from an internal crisis. One of the organizers of the #AppleToo movement was fired last week. More than 500 employees say they've faced racial and gender-based discrimination at the company.

But even though these organizations seem to be on the back foot, blowing the whistle is complicated and risky. What does it take to be a whistleblower? And is it enough to actually implement change in Silicon Valley?

Meredith Whittaker and Ifeoma Ozoma join us for the conversation.

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How Whistleblowers Have Put Big Tech On The Back Foot : 1A - NPR