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 repeatedly prioritized engagement and profit over safety when designing its products, even when that could harm users' mental well-being.
- The case is a six-week federal trial brought by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, which are among 29 states that sued Meta in 2023 over youth safety and privacy concerns.
- The lawsuit alleges Meta knowingly designed addictive features for children, hid the harms from the public, and collected data on children under 13 without parental consent.
- Meta says users must be at least 13 to create an account and denies the allegations, saying the trial will show its commitment to safety.
A former Meta engineering director told jurors in Oakland that Instagram handled users under 13 with a "don't ask, don't tell" attitude. Arturo Bejar, who has testified before Congress on child safety issues, said that in his view the company repeatedly put growth and profit ahead of safety in how it built its products.
Bejar made the remarks during the second day of testimony in a federal trial in California. The case, expected to last about six weeks, was brought by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey. Those states are among 29 that sued Meta in 2023 over concerns about child safety and privacy; the remaining states' claims will be tried later.
The lawsuit says Meta knowingly designed features that addict children to its platforms, hid the harms from the public and collected data on children under 13 without parental consent. Meta denies the allegations and says users must be at least 13 to open an account, consistent with federal law. The case could be a negative overhang for Meta shares as it adds legal and reputational risk, but the immediate market impact is not yet clear.
前Meta工程师称Instagram对13岁以下用户采取“睁一只眼闭一只眼”做法
一名前Meta工程总监在奥克兰对陪审团表示，Instagram对13岁以下用户采取了“不要问、不要说”的态度。曾就儿童安全问题在国会作证的阿图罗·贝哈尔说，在他看来，公司在产品设计中反复把增长和利润放在安全之上。
贝哈尔是在这起联邦审判的第二天作证。该案在加利福尼亚州联邦法院审理，预计持续约六周。诉讼由加州、科罗拉多、肯塔基和新泽西提起，这四个州属于2023年就儿童安全和隐私问题起诉Meta的29个州之一，其余州的案件之后将继续审理。
诉状指控Meta明知故意设计会让儿童上瘾的功能，对外隐瞒危害，并在未获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，称用户必须年满13岁才能注册账户，且这符合联邦法律。就市场而言，这类诉讼通常会增加Meta的法律和声誉风险，对股价偏利空，但短期直接影响尚难判断。