Facebook users were scandalized last week after discovering that the social network had roped 700,000 of them into a psychological study based on mood manipulation. A Facebook spokesperson defended the study, describing it as an effort to improve its offerings.
Now Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, who is one of the company's most recognizable faces, has delivered a faux-pology of her own. “This was part of ongoing research companies do to test different products, and that was what it was; it was poorly communicated,” she said earlier this week while on a trip New Delhi.“And for that communication we apologize. We never meant to upset you.”
In other words, Facebook's not sorry for manipulating your mood—just that you found out about it the way you did.
[via BetaBeat]