Staff Reports
Meta’s CEO Ignores the Dangers of Social Media on Minors: Massachusetts Attorney General
Mark Zuckerberg and his crew over at Meta, formerly known as Facebook, don’t seem to be too concerned about the harm their social media platforms are causing to minors. According to Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, Meta was repeatedly warned about the danger its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, pose to the well-being of young people — but they just shrugged it off.
Zuckerberg 'Ignored' Top Executives Calling For Increased Safety Plans for Kids: Unredacted Lawsuit https://t.co/enlsIWsyPu pic.twitter.com/H33CYwJSe8
— Home Defense Gun (@HomeDefenseGun) November 10, 2023
The attorney general’s complaint alleges that Meta designed its social media platforms to be addictive to those under 18, intentionally preying on “young people’s unique psychological vulnerabilities” to keep them hooked. The suit argues that Meta targeted minors’ vulnerabilities to coerce them into spending even more time on the platforms, all while knowing full well how harmful it could be to their mental and physical well-being.
But, despite these warnings, Meta’s top brass, including Chief Financial Officer Susan Li, refused to invest in developing tools to mitigate the harmful effects on minors. The complaint claims that even after Vice President of Product, Choice and Competition David Ginsberg emailed Zuckerberg directly in 2019 recommending these investments, they continued to ignore the issue.
In 2021, Vice President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg forwarded a request for more funds to address “problematic use, bullying+harassment, and even suicidal behavior” on Instagram, but even that was denied. The lawsuit alleges that Zuckerberg “ignored Clegg’s request for months” and ultimately denied the request, claiming that payroll expenses were already too tight to invest in the well-being of Instagram’s most vulnerable users.
The lawsuit also points out that this isn’t just a concern in Massachusetts. A coalition of 33 states has filed suit against Meta, alleging that the company has intentionally manipulated minors for profit by downplaying the harm its platforms cause to users. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has made it clear that the issue is about protecting kids, and the hope is that these companies will change their behavior to put the well-being of minors first.
Needless to say, it looks like the bigwigs over at Meta have some explaining to do, and it’s about time they start taking the well-being of our kids seriously. Here’s hoping that the state attorneys general are successful in holding these tech giants accountable for their actions and prioritize the safety of our youth over maximizing profits. Keep fighting the good fight, folks, because our children’s futures are at stake!
