Whistleblower Says Meta Execs Knew Social Media Can Harm Kids

November 7, 2023 by Tom Ramstack
Whistleblower Says Meta Execs Knew Social Media Can Harm Kids
Meta's Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Georgetown University. (Photo by Dan McCue)

WASHINGTON — A whistleblower former employee of Meta Platforms Inc. told a Senate panel Tuesday that top executives of the social media giant knew their Facebook platform harmed young people but covered it up to avoid interfering with their profits.

He said he showed statistics to the corporate executives demonstrating teens and children often suffered depression after being subjected to online bullying, sexual solicitation and body shaming.

Some of them were driven to suicide, said Arturo Bejar, former director of engineering for Facebook’s Protect and Care program.

Awareness by Meta executives Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and others of the harm to children showed, “It meant that they knew and they were not acting on it,” he said. “It is time for Congress to act.”

Senators on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law used Bejar’s testimony as an example of why they want to pass the proposed Kids Online Safety Act.

The bill pending in the Senate seeks to protect minors from abuses on social media platforms. It authorizes state attorneys general to enforce it, such as through lawsuits.

The bill would require Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms to install settings and algorithms that restrict access to minors’ personal data and to give parents tools to control privacy settings for accounts used by their children.

Other provisions require social media to refrain from advertising to children for age-restricted products or services, such as cigarettes and online gambling. They also would have to report to the federal government annually on foreseeable risks of harm to minors from using their platforms.

Social media platforms, along with anti-censorship groups, oppose the kinds of restrictions found in the Kids Online Safety Act. They say the greater risk is that it would lead to increased government surveillance of online free speech and censorship of artists’ work.

As a result, more people would be driven away from the social interaction and easy access to information they find on the sites, according to critics of a government crackdown. They sometimes call themselves the “Don’t Delete Art” movement.

In the third quarter of this year, the number of Facebook users worldwide is about 3.05 billion. Use of the platform rose 0.63% from the previous quarter and 3.08% year over year.

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, reported $116 billion in revenue last year. Most of it, or $113.6 billion, was generated by advertising.

The advertising rates depend on the number of Facebook users.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said she doubted Facebook’s claims that it made sincere efforts to protect children from online information that might lead to mental depression.

“It has to be because they were motivated by profit,” Blackburn said.

The renewed effort in the Senate to clamp down on alleged abuses of social media is partly an outgrowth of a lawsuit filed against Meta by state attorneys general two weeks ago.

Forty-two state attorneys general sued Meta for allegedly endangering children with addictive features on its Facebook and Instagram media platforms.

The lawsuit says Meta designed its algorithms, alerts, notifications and infinite scroll features to keep kids using the media platforms longer and to return frequently. Other features, such as photo filters, promote the depression associated with body dysmorphia, the attorneys general say.

The lawsuits seek an injunction against Meta to halt the features they say hurt the mental health of kids as well as restitution and penalties.

During the Senate hearing Tuesday, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Congress would have taken action previously to rein in Facebook and Instagram’s dominance of social media, but their huge lobbying effort always stopped legislative reforms.

“Big Tech is the big kid on the block when it comes to this issue,” Durbin said.

Meta released a statement after the lawsuit was filed saying, “We share the attorneys general’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.”

You can reach us at [email protected] and follow us on Facebook and Twitter

A+
a-
  • Facebook
  • mental health
  • Meta
  • Social Media
  • suicide
  • young people
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Mental Health

    Bluebells and Other Spring Flowers Can Be Nature's Antidote to Stressful Times

    HALLE, Belgium (AP) — Gilles Gui was looking for the magical purple bluebells that raise their heads each spring under... Read More

    HALLE, Belgium (AP) — Gilles Gui was looking for the magical purple bluebells that raise their heads each spring under the budding beech leaves of the Hallerbos forest, an annual explosion of color that draws crowds from around the world. And in these times full of stress... Read More

    April 14, 2025
    by Jesse Zucker
    Study Finds Eating Oranges May Reduce Depression Risk

    WASHINGTON — What we eat affects how we feel, not only physically, but mentally. While some comforting food can make... Read More

    WASHINGTON — What we eat affects how we feel, not only physically, but mentally. While some comforting food can make you feel good in the short term, consuming a healthy diet influences mental health in the long term. A new study finds an interesting link between... Read More

    April 7, 2025
    by Jesse Zucker
    Review Finds All Exercise Boosts Cognitive Health

    WASHINGTON — Now is the time of year when the messaging around building your summer body increases. However, it is... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Now is the time of year when the messaging around building your summer body increases. However, it is always a good time to start exercising, for reasons beyond just your appearance. Cognitive health is an often overlooked benefit of regular exercise; a new review... Read More

    April 7, 2025
    by Jesse Zucker
    Birdwatching and Birding Increase Well-Being

    WASHINGTON — A flash of red, a flutter of wings, a mother feeding her baby, the sound of chirping, the... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A flash of red, a flutter of wings, a mother feeding her baby, the sound of chirping, the feeling of air on your skin and a sense of calm as you notice each detail. You will experience all this in a few seconds of... Read More

    March 24, 2025
    by Jesse Zucker
    Hug a Tree. It’s Good for Both of You!

    WASHINGTON — As we humans move through our lives, we have family, friends and pets to accompany us. Feeling connected... Read More

    WASHINGTON — As we humans move through our lives, we have family, friends and pets to accompany us. Feeling connected to others is vital for mental and physical health. One overlooked companion? Trees. It may sound odd, but think about your relationship with trees throughout your... Read More

    March 24, 2025
    by Jesse Zucker
    Review Finds Even One Structured Therapy Session May Prove Beneficial

    WASHINGTON — Coping with a mental health condition? Attending therapy with a licensed professional may help, but it can be... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Coping with a mental health condition? Attending therapy with a licensed professional may help, but it can be cost-prohibitive for some. Therapy is also a long process, and research suggests many do not complete an evidence-based length of treatment.  A new review evaluates whether... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top