Big Tech's Dark Side: Profits Over Kids' Safety

A recent court filing has brought to light some shocking claims against Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram.

Allegations of Negligence and Profit Over Safety

• Policy Allowing Harmful Content: It's alleged that Meta had a policy allowing sex traffickers to post harmful content up to 16 times before their accounts were suspended.
• Lawsuit Against Tech Giants: The lawsuit, filed by children, parents, school districts, and states including California, accuses Meta, along with Google, Snapchat, and TikTok, of prioritizing profit over the safety of children.

Addiction and Harm to Children

• Intentional Design: The filing claims that Meta intentionally designed its products to addict children, despite knowing the harm it causes.
• "17x" Policy: Meta's so-called "17x" policy is cited as evidence of the company turning a blind eye to the safety of young users.

Meta's Alleged Lies and Lack of Investment

• Misleading Statements: The filing alleges that Meta's "outright lies" about the harms of its products prevented even the most vigilant parents and teachers from understanding the dangers.
• Refusal to Invest: Despite earning billions in annual revenue, the filing claims Meta refused to invest enough resources in keeping kids safe.

Meta's Denial and Contradictory Evidence

• Meta's Response: Meta has denied these accusations, stating that they have been making real changes to protect teens for over a decade.
• Internal Communications: The filing cites internal communications and research reports that seem to contradict this claim.

Failure to Address Child Sexual Abuse Material

• No Reporting Mechanism: It's alleged that in 2020, Instagram had no way for users to report child sexual abuse material.
• AI Tools Ineffectiveness: Even when AI tools identified such content with 100% confidence, Meta did not automatically delete it.

Recommendation Features and Unwanted Interactions

• Inappropriate Connections: The filing claims that Meta's recommendation features were responsible for a significant number of inappropriate adult-minor connections.
• Delayed Privacy Measures: Meta delayed making kids' accounts private by default for years, allowing billions of unwanted interactions to occur, because they projected that the change would cut daily users by 2.2%.

Impact on Children's Mental Health

• Youth Mental Health Crisis: The lawsuit also takes aim at Meta's approach to children's mental health, claiming that the company's products have contributed to a youth mental health crisis in schools nationwide.
• Internal Messages: Internal messages cited in the filing suggest that Meta knew its products were addictive and harmful, but chose to prioritize user engagement over safety.