tech
Instagram Took 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Approach to Kids, Former Engineer Testifies — And Pay Was Tied to Keeping Them Online
A former engineering director at Meta who has testified before Congress about child safety on Instagram told jurors Wednesday at a landmark trial that the company took a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach on kids under 13 on its platforms.
TL;DR
- A former Meta engineering director testified that the company used a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to users under 13.
- The company allegedly prioritized profits and user engagement over child safety in product design.
- Meta faces a lawsuit from multiple states accusing it of contributing to the youth mental health crisis through addictive features and violating child privacy laws.
- The company maintains it requires users to be at least 13 and has safety measures in place.
- The former director stated that performance reviews and compensation were tied to user numbers and time spent on platforms, making safety an 'afterthought'.
- Features like video autoplay and counters tracking engagement were highlighted as potentially harmful to teenagers.
- The lawsuit seeks changes to user experiences and financial damages.
- The former director claimed Meta's safety tools, like 'Take a Break', were designed to fail and not implemented by default.