Meta’s Approach to Child Safety Under Scrutiny in Trial

OAKLAND, California — At a significant trial unfolding in Oakland, a former Meta engineering director shared troubling insights about the company’s treatment of users under 13. Arturo Béjar, who previously testified before Congress on child safety regarding Instagram, stated that Meta adopted a “don’t ask, don’t tell” philosophy when it came to younger users.

On the second day of his testimony, Béjar claimed that the company consistently placed profit above user safety, designing products that enhanced usage duration and engagement, sometimes at the expense of mental health. “If you step away from the product, they are not going to make any money,” he explained.

This trial commenced on Tuesday and involves Meta facing off against California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. This case is just one of many, as 29 states have filed lawsuits targeting Meta over concerns regarding child safety and privacy. Additional lawsuits in other states, including one in Tennessee, are in progress as well.

The primary allegations assert that Meta has contributed to a youth mental health crisis by intentionally creating addictive features for kids while concealing the associated risks. Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that Meta gathers data on children under 13 without parental consent, violating federal regulations.

Meta maintains that users must be at least 13 years old to create an account, adhering to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Béjar mentioned that on Instagram, the prevailing mindset seemed to be “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” when discussing younger users. The company has consistently denied the claims, asserting that the trial will reveal its commitment to ensuring safety.

According to Meta attorney Paul Schmidt, the case will highlight various critical discussions around teen mental health, social media, and how adolescents engage with these platforms. He emphasized that Meta believes it has a responsibility to collaborate with teens and their families to address these concerns.

Describing safety as merely an “afterthought,” Béjar recounted his experience at Facebook from 2009 to 2015, where he was notably involved in anti-cyberbullying initiatives. He returned from 2019 to 2021 to aid in safety matters and testified about how top executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, were aware of the negative impact Instagram was having but opted against making substantial improvements.

Béjar elaborated that employee evaluations and rewards for those developing user-facing products largely centered on metrics like user growth and engagement duration. Within this framework, safety issues were not prioritized.

The states involved aim to implement modifications to user experiences on Facebook and Instagram, along with seeking financial penalties that could reach into the billions. California’s attorney general’s office stated that if Meta loses, the court will determine the financial repercussions.

“This case aims to prevent Meta from providing a harmful product to teens and from misleading families and the public about its dangers,” the statement read.

Béjar discussed various Meta features, designed for adults but potentially harmful to teenagers, such as video autoplay and intricate tracking systems displaying likes and comments. Child development experts have expressed concerns that teenagers are particularly vulnerable to social comparison, which can negatively impact their mental health.

Despite the assertion that Meta enforces measures to identify and ban underage users, Béjar reported finding “tens of thousands” of under-13 kids on Instagram, suggesting awareness within the company that very young children were present on the platform.

He remarked that while Meta possesses impressive tools for detecting fake accounts, there were “no goals, no metrics” in place specifically for verifying users’ ages concerning suspected underage accounts.

Though Meta has rolled out features aimed at enhancing safety for younger users over the years, Béjar noted that these efforts often fell short. He cited the “Take a Break” feature, claiming it was ineffective because users must actively enable it—comparing it to an airbag that drivers have to activate before using a car. “A safety tool has to be on by default,” he insisted.

Moreover, Béjar pointed out how easily users could dismiss the feature, saying that if Meta was genuinely committed to encouraging breaks, the option wouldn’t be so readily overlooked.