Facebook whistleblower to attend Biden’s State of the Union address -White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen plans to attend U.S. President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night, the White House said, as it seeks to highlight mental health problems facing young people.

Haugen, a former Facebook Inc product manager, revealed her identity as the whistleblower who provided the documents that underpinned a Wall Street Journal investigation and a Senate hearing on Instagram’s harm to teen girls.

She also accused her former employer of repeatedly prioritizing profit over clamping down on hate speech and misinformation and has called for her former boss, Mark Zuckerberg, to step down.

The White House described her as “an advocate for more humanity and transparency across the tech and social media industry, especially as it relates to teen mental health.”

Pat Gelsinger, chief executive officer of Intel Corp also plans to attend the annual speech, as the Biden administration seeks to showcase efforts to bolster chip supplies.

Gelsinger unveiled the chip maker’s plans for a $20 billion Ohio-based chipmaking facility at the White House earlier in January as a global shortage of semiconductors hammers everything from smartphones to cars. The investment could grow to $100 billion, making it the world’s largest chip making complex.

Biden, who has earned praise for his efforts to rally European allies and other nations against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, will turn to uniting Americans in his State of the Union speech.

According to the White House, he will also highlight efforts to improve supply chains, stressing that companies announced nearly $200 billion investments for semiconductor, electric vehicle, battery and critical mineral production and manufacturing in the United States during his first year in office.

Biden will specifically mention Intel’s bet on Ohio, which is expected to create 7,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent positions, the White House added.

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper; editing by Jonathan Oatis)