Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Accused Of Hiding Child Safety Risks On Instagram And Facebook For Years

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta is facing fresh trouble after new court filings claimed the company downplayed risks to children and hid key safety issues from the public. According to a report from The Times,

a recently unsealed legal brief accuses the social media giant of knowing about serious dangers on Instagram and Facebook but failing to act for years.The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, includes testimony from Vaishnavi Jayakumar, former head of safety and well-being at Instagram. She said that when she joined Meta in 2020, she discovered a shocking '17x strike' policy for accounts linked to sex trafficking. Under this system, an account could violate rules 16 times and still stay online. The brief claims Meta had internal documents supporting this.The plaintiffs say Meta knew that millions of adults were contacting minors on its platforms. They also allege that Meta’s products were contributing to mental health issues among teenagers. Content related to eating disorders and child sexual abuse was often detected internally but rarely removed.According to the legal team, Meta did not share these risks with the public or with US lawmakers. Instead, it allegedly focused on engagement and profit. Previn Warren, co-lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said Meta built products "it knows are addictive to kids."The brief also claims Meta hid findings from its own internal research. One 2019 study reportedly showed that people who deactivated Facebook and Instagram for a week felt less anxious and less depressed. But Meta never released this study publicly, according to the plaintiffs.Even though Meta has introduced features like Instagram Teen Accounts recently, the brief says the company resisted such changes for years. Former executives told investigators that Meta cared more about user numbers than user safety. One former vice president is quoted saying, "They don’t meaningfully care about user safety."The plaintiffs also allege that Meta knowingly targeted young users, including children below 13. Internal research reportedly showed that many underage users were already on Instagram. Some employees compared Meta’s strategy to old tobacco company tactics, saying they were uncomfortable with the approach.Meta has denied all allegations. A spokesperson said the company has "listened to parents, researched key issues and made real changes to protect teens."

What This Means Going Forward

The case raises big questions about how social media platforms handle child safety. As the legal battle continues, more details about Meta’s internal practices may come out. The scrutiny could also push governments to bring in stricter rules to protect young users online.