Meta Platforms, Inc. is again in the hot seat. Whistleblower allegations indicate that the controversial tech giant misled investors and the public about significant dangers posed to children by its platforms. The revelations come amid ongoing criticism from U.S. lawmakers and former employees about the impact of Meta’s products on young users.
The debate exploded when a new Washington Post story broke. This led Jason Sattizahn, one of the whistleblowers and a former Meta employee, to describe Meta’s move as a “lie by avoidance.” He has boldly claimed that the company has intentionally prioritized profit over addressing serious concerns about user safety, especially for children and teens.
In recent months, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has faced repeated questioning from lawmakers regarding allegations that the company deliberately pushes harmful content to young users. Despite these inquiries, Zuckerberg has publicly apologized for the harm caused by the company’s actions, saying, “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through.”
We’re glad to see that Meta is committed to addressing these issues. They promise to approve almost 180 Reality Labs studies that concern youth safety and well-being. The company provides parental control features across its Quest headsets and the immersive world of the virtual reality game, Horizon Worlds. In fact, Florida Senator Ashley Moody’s lawsuit against these measures has called them confusing and difficult to enforce. She has gone so far as to sue Meta, acknowledging that the platform has harmed the health and wellbeing of kids.
Former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen first sounded this alarm last year when she testified to Congress about Instagram’s negative impact on teens’ mental health. Per Haugen, internal research showed that Instagram was creating a “toxic” experience for young users. This critical information was kept under wraps.
Sattizahn and whistleblower Ms. Savage allege that Meta’s legal team intervened to influence internal research. Such a study would have been able to expose to very real hazards. They claim that Meta required researchers to delete any proof of dangers linked to sexual abuse on its platforms. Ms. Savage further noted that Roblox, an online gaming platform popular among children and available in Meta’s VR app store, was being exploited by coordinated paedophile rings.
“Meta has chosen to ignore the problems they created and bury evidence of users’ negative experiences,” – Jason Sattizahn
Under the surface, the whistleblowers’ claims disclose a shocking reality. The company has chosen to value its public perception above the safety of its youngest users. This has led Sattizahn to chastise Meta for its half-hearted response to these allegations. He underscores the firm’s fixation with “some arbitrary number that doesn’t matter.”
Frances Haugen’s departure from Meta was marked by her copying a trove of internal memos and documents that shed light on the company’s practices. Rather, the materials painted a troubling picture of Meta’s priorities when it came to protecting the safety and well-being of youth users. Regrettably, leaders within the organization supposedly turned a blind eye to these problems.