Meta Accused of Concealing Instagram’s Impact on Children’s Mental Health
Recent court documents released in California reveal that Meta researchers referred to Instagram as a “drug” and allegedly suppressed data indicating that the platform harms children’s mental health.
These concerning claims emerged in the Northern California District Court, where several state attorneys general, school districts, and parents are suing Meta along with Google’s YouTube, TikTok, and Snap Inc. They contend that these companies prioritize profits while misleading the public about the risks posed to children.
“Oh my god, IG is a drug,” one Meta user experience researcher reportedly said in an internal discussion, as per the court documents.
Another employee responded, saying, “We’re basically pushers.”
It’s noted that Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, was allegedly taken aback and “didn’t want to hear it” when shown an internal assessment detailing how the app effectively hooks children on dopamine.
The lawsuit claims that Meta has a history of downplaying or hiding evidence that demonstrates its apps contribute to addiction, anxiety, and depression, all while exposing children to online predators.
A Meta spokesperson released a statement, strongly disagreeing with the allegations, stating that the claims are based on selective quotes and misleading interpretations. They emphasized that over the past decade, Meta has actively listened to parents and implemented significant changes to enhance teens’ safety, including Teen Accounts with protective features.
Evidence highlighted in these documents includes sworn statements from both current and former Meta employees, as well as internal findings. Testimony from Vaishnavi Jayakumar, the previous head of safety and welfare at Instagram, described a “17 strike” policy regarding accounts linked to sex trafficking.
Jayakumar detailed, “You could have 16 offenses for prostitution or sexual solicitation, and only the 17th would lead to account suspension.” This extreme threshold raises concerns about the effectiveness of their safety measures.
The documents also shed light on a 2020 initiative named “Project Mercury,” which explored the mental health impacts on users who stopped using Facebook and Instagram for a month versus those who continued to engage with the platforms.
While Meta expressed disappointment with this study, it reportedly revealed that users who paused their Facebook use for a week reported feeling less depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Instead of sharing these findings, Meta allegedly chose to keep them hidden, claiming bias due to existing negative media coverage about the company.
One internal employee expressed concern that not disclosing the results would be akin to a tobacco company hiding research that demonstrated the health risks of smoking.
The plaintiffs contend that Project Mercury serves as evidence that Meta officials misled Congress in December 2020, when they claimed they could not determine if increased Instagram use correlated with harm to teenage girls.
Meta has maintained that it takes significant measures to safeguard underage users from negative impacts. However, these court records could spark renewed scrutiny of the company from lawmakers.
Sasha Howarth, executive director of the Technology Oversight Project, commented, “Mark Zuckerberg has blood in his veins… Instead of addressing these issues, he disabled safety features, concealed research, and misled Congress about it.”
The lawsuit also implicates YouTube, Snap, and TikTok for safety shortcomings, particularly concerning the protection of young users.
A Google spokesperson countered, saying, “These lawsuits fundamentally misunderstand how YouTube works, and the allegations are entirely inaccurate.” Meanwhile, TikTok and Snap have yet to respond to requests for comments.
