Former Meta engineer says Instagram took a 'don't ask, don't tell' approach on kids under 13
- Former Meta engineering director Arturo Bejar testified in federal court in Oakland that Instagram took a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to users under 13.
- Bejar said Meta prioritized engagement and profits over safety, designing products to keep people on the platforms longer even when it could harm mental well-being.
- The testimony is part of a six-week trial in a lawsuit brought by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey over youth safety and privacy claims.
- The states allege Meta knowingly designed addictive features for children and collected data on users under 13 without parental consent, while Meta denies the allegations and says users must be at least 13.
- The case is one of several lawsuits against Meta over child safety, with more state claims set to go to trial later.
A former Meta engineering director told a federal jury in Oakland that Instagram handled users under 13 with a "don't ask, don't tell" approach. Arturo Bejar, who has previously testified before Congress on child safety issues, gave the statement during the second day of a trial over Meta's handling of young users.
Bejar said Meta consistently put growth and profits ahead of safety. In his account, the company focused on how often and how long people used its products, even when that could be harmful to mental well-being.
The trial, which began Tuesday in federal court in California, brings together lawsuits filed by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey. The states say Meta knowingly designed addictive features for children, hid the harms from the public and collected data on children under 13 without parental consent.
Meta denies the allegations and says its platforms require users to be at least 13, consistent with federal privacy law. The case is part of a broader wave of litigation over social media and child safety.
前Meta工程师称Instagram对13岁以下儿童采取“睁一只眼闭一只眼”态度
前Meta工程总监Arturo Béjar在奥克兰联邦陪审团前作证称，Instagram对13岁以下用户采取了“睁一只眼闭一只眼”的处理方式。曾就儿童安全问题向国会作证的Béjar是在这场涉及Meta对青少年用户处理方式的审判第二天发表上述说法的。
Béjar表示，Meta一贯把增长和利润放在安全之上。他说，公司关注的是用户使用产品的频率和时长，即使这可能伤害心理健康。
这场审判于周二在加利福尼亚州联邦法院开庭，原告来自加利福尼亚、科罗拉多、肯塔基和新泽西四个州。四州指控Meta明知故意为儿童设计容易上瘾的功能，向公众隐瞒相关危害，并在未经家长同意的情况下收集13岁以下儿童的数据。
Meta否认这些指控，并表示其平台要求用户必须年满13岁，这与联邦隐私法一致。这起案件也是围绕社交媒体与儿童安全的多起诉讼之一。