Meta put company growth ahead of child safety, ex-staff alleges

New York: Former Meta safety researcher Arturo Béjar has accused the company of deliberately overlooking serious safety concerns involving minors to protect its business interests, alleging that it effectively followed a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to problems faced by young users.

Béjar made the allegations while testifying in a major lawsuit filed against Meta by 29 US states, which accuse Facebook and Instagram of contributing to mental health problems among children and teenagers through the design of their platforms.

Béjar, who worked on Meta’s safety team from 2009 to 2015 and later returned as a consultant between 2019 and 2021, told the California federal court that he had repeatedly raised concerns with CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He alleged that despite Zuckerberg’s extensive authority within the company, meaningful action was not taken to address the safety issues.

According to Béjar, Meta sought to create the impression that it was committed to protecting young users while failing to confront problems affecting them adequately. He also suggested that the company’s focus on future users contributed to its willingness to overlook concerns involving children and teenagers.

The lawsuit, which began on August 18 and is expected to continue for about six weeks, alleges that Meta’s platform designs have contributed to deteriorating mental health among adolescents. The states are seeking major changes to Facebook and Instagram, as well as substantial penalties. Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri are expected to testify.

Meta has rejected the allegations, pointing to parental controls, time limits and other safety measures it says are designed to protect children online.