Meta Faces Legal Scrutiny Over Child Safety on Instagram

Concerns Raised in Court

New Delhi, Aug 20: A former engineering director at Meta has testified in a US federal court, revealing that Instagram adopted a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding users under 13 years old. This approach prioritized user engagement and growth over the safety of young users, leading to accusations of harm against the platform, as reported by various sources.

Arturo Bejar, who has previously spoken before Congress on issues of child safety, stated on his second day of testimony that Meta evaluated employee performance and compensation primarily based on engagement metrics, such as user numbers and time spent on the app.

He remarked, “In that context, safety was an afterthought,” highlighting the company's focus on growth over user protection.

Bejar's research indicated that “tens of thousands” of children under 13 were active on Instagram, and it was widely recognized within the company that young users were accessing the platform.

The ongoing trial involves Meta and several states, including California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, which are among 29 states that filed a lawsuit against the tech giant in 2023. They accuse Meta of contributing to a youth mental health crisis by intentionally designing features that promote addiction among children.

Additionally, the lawsuit claims that Meta frequently collected data from users under 13 without obtaining parental consent, violating federal regulations. Meta has denied these allegations, asserting that evidence presented in court will showcase its commitment to user safety.

Meta's attorney, Paul Schmidt, emphasized that the case will address significant issues such as teen mental health and social media usage, asserting that the company recognizes its responsibility to engage with teens and parents to tackle these challenges.

Bejar criticized Instagram's safety features, claiming they were ineffective. He pointed out that the 'Take a Break' feature, launched in 2021, was designed to fail since users had to activate it themselves and could easily ignore prompts. He stated, “A safety tool has to be on by default,” arguing that if Meta genuinely wanted users to take breaks, the feature should not be so easily dismissed.