Former Meta engineer says Instagram took a 'don't ask, don't tell' approach on kids under 13
- A former engineering director at Meta testified that the company prioritized profits over safety in its products.
- Arturo Béjar stated that Meta's approach to users under 13 was a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy.
- The trial involves Meta and several states accusing the company of contributing to the youth mental health crisis.
- The lawsuit claims Meta collects data on children under 13 without parental consent, violating federal law.
OAKLAND, California (AP) — A former engineering director at Meta testified that the company took a 'don’t ask, don’t tell' approach regarding children under 13 on its platforms. Arturo Béjar stated that Meta consistently prioritized profits over safety in product design, focusing on user engagement metrics even if detrimental to mental well-being.
The trial, which began in federal court in Oakland, California, involves Meta facing lawsuits from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, among others. These states accuse Meta of contributing to a youth mental health crisis by designing addictive features and hiding associated harms from the public.
The lawsuit claims that Meta collects data on children under 13 without parental consent, violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Meta asserts that users must be at least 13 years old to create an account, in compliance with the law.
前Meta工程师称Instagram对13岁以下儿童采取‘不问不说’的态度
加利福尼亚州奥克兰（美联社）——前Meta工程主任作证称，该公司对其平台上13岁以下儿童采取了‘不问不说’的态度。阿图罗·贝哈表示，Meta在产品设计中始终优先考虑利润，而非安全，专注于用户参与度指标，即使这对心理健康有害。
此次审判在加利福尼亚州奥克兰的联邦法院进行，Meta面临来自加利福尼亚州、科罗拉多州、肯塔基州和新泽西州等州的诉讼。这些州指控Meta通过设计上瘾的功能并隐瞒相关危害，导致青少年心理健康危机。
诉讼称，Meta在未经父母同意的情况下收集13岁以下儿童的数据，违反了《儿童在线隐私保护法》（COPPA）。Meta则主张，用户必须年满13岁才能创建账户，以符合相关法律。