VOA慢速英语2021--Facebook遭遇重大宕机

Facebook suffered a major outage Monday that blocked the company's 3.5 billion users from its social media and messaging services. The company blamed the nearly six-hour outage on problems related to a "configuration¹ change" made by its engineers.

The outage affected² Facebook's main services, as well as the company's Instagram and WhatsApp products. The service outage was the largest ever recorded by the company Downdetector, an online internet website tracker.

Facebook said there was no evidence the outage was the result of an internet attack, and it appeared that no user data was endangered. It apologized to its users and said it was working to understand more about the cause.

Several Facebook employees who wanted to remain anonymous³ spoke⁴ to Reuters news agency about the outage. They said they believed it was caused by a mistake inside an area of the company that controls how internet traffic is routed to its systems.

The outage came one day after a former employee went public with her identity after providing secret documents about the company to The Wall Street Journal. The former data scientist, Frances Haugen, appeared Sunday night on the CBS television program 60 Minutes.

The documents Haugen provided suggested that Facebook's own research had shown how the company's products and decisions can be harmful to users.

Haugen also reached out anonymously⁵ to federal law enforcement to investigate Facebook. She provided company documents that she said showed how Facebook magnifies hate and misinformation and fuels political division. Haugen says Facebook has been dishonest in its public declarations about its efforts to fight hate speech and misinformation.

The documents also showed that the company was aware that Instagram can harm the mental health of girls and young women.

On Tuesday, Haugen discussed her criticisms of Facebook in front of the United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection. In her testimony⁶, she accused Facebook's leaders of failing to make changes based on the research because they chose to put company profits above the safety of users.

In written testimony provided to the Senate group, Haugen said Facebook's leadership "knows how to make Facebook and Instagram safer, but won't make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical⁷ profits before people."

She added: "Congressional action is needed. They won't solve this crisis without your help."

The Senate subcommittee is examining Facebook's use of its own research on Instagram that suggests possible harm for some of its young users, especially girls. The company has publicly downplayed such harmful effects.

Research included in documents provided by Haugen suggests some females between 13-19 years old who heavily use the popular photo-sharing service feel increased peer pressure. This can lead to mental health and body-image problems. In some cases, this can result in eating disorders⁸ and suicidal thoughts, the research showed.

One Facebook study showed that 13.5 percent of girls and young women said they feel Instagram can make thoughts of suicide worse, while 17 percent said it can make eating disorders worse.

Haugen said she decided⁹ to go public and speak out because of her belief that "Facebook's products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy."

Words in This Story

configure – v. to arrange something or change the controls on a computer or other device so it can be used in a particular way

track – v. to record the progress or development of something

anonymous – adj. not giving a name

route – v. to send something somewhere using a particular way or direction

magnify – v. to make something look larger or more important than it is

astronomical – adj. extremely large

downplay – v. make something seem less important or less bad than it really is

peer pressure – n. the strong influence of a group on members of that group to behave as everyone else does

stoke – v. to urge bad ideas of feelings in a lot of people

1 configuration   

n.结构，布局，形态，(计算机)配置

参考例句：

• Geographers study the configuration of the mountains.地理学家研究山脉的地形轮廓。
• Prices range from $119 to $199,depending on the particular configuration.价格因具体配置而异，从119美元至199美元不等。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 anonymously   

ad.用匿名的方式

参考例句：

• The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
• Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。

6 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

7 astronomical   

adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的

参考例句：

• He was an expert on ancient Chinese astronomical literature.他是研究中国古代天文学文献的专家。
• Houses in the village are selling for astronomical prices.乡村的房价正在飙升。

8 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。