Oakland, Calif. – During the second day of a high‑profile federal trial, former Meta engineering director Arturo Béjar testified that Instagram operated with a “don’t ask, don’t tell” attitude toward children under 13. Béjar, who previously worked at Facebook from 2009‑2015 and returned as a contractor from 2019‑2021, said the platform’s design choices focused on user engagement and revenue rather than protecting young users.
Profit‑driven product design
Béjar explained that performance reviews and compensation for product teams were tied to metrics such as daily active users and time spent on the app. “If you step away from the product, they are not going to make any money,” he told the jury, emphasizing that safety was treated as an afterthought.
The lawsuit, filed by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, alleges Meta knowingly created features that addict teenagers and collect data on children under 13 without parental consent, violating the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The four states are among 29 that sued the tech giant in 2023; the remaining states will go to trial later.
Evidence of under‑age users
Despite Meta’s public statements that it bans users under 13, Béjar testified he discovered “tens of thousands” of under‑age accounts on Instagram through his own research. He said it was “common knowledge” within the company that children were present on the platform, yet there were no specific goals or metrics to identify and remove them.
Meta’s internal tools, such as a sophisticated infrastructure for detecting fake accounts, were reportedly not applied to age verification. Béjar noted the lack of a systematic approach to flagging suspected under‑age users.
Safety features that fall short
Meta has introduced several features intended to protect younger users, including the 2021 “Take a Break” tool. Béjar described the feature as “designed to fail,” because it requires users to manually enable it and can be dismissed with a single tap. He compared it to an airbag that drivers must turn on each time they sit in a car, arguing that a genuine safety tool should be enabled by default.
Other design elements highlighted by Béjar include video autoplay, which can expose teens to potentially harmful content without any interaction, and engagement counters that reward popularity, a dynamic linked to increased social comparison among adolescents.
Meta’s response
Meta’s legal team denied the allegations, asserting that evidence will demonstrate the company’s commitment to safety. Lawyer Paul Schmidt said Meta believes it has a responsibility to work with teens and parents in partnership to address mental‑health concerns associated with social media use.
The states are seeking an injunction to change user experiences on Facebook and Instagram, as well as financial damages that could reach billions of dollars. California’s attorney general’s office indicated that any monetary award would be determined by the court.
Broader implications
The trial underscores ongoing national debates about the impact of social media on youth mental health and the enforcement of federal privacy laws. Child‑development experts have warned that platforms rewarding likes, views, and follower counts can exacerbate anxiety and depression among teenagers.
As the six‑week trial proceeds, the outcome could shape future regulatory actions and corporate practices regarding age verification, data collection, and the design of features aimed at younger audiences.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
