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 at a federal trial in Oakland, California, that Instagram took a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to users under 13.
- Bejar said Meta consistently prioritized engagement and profit over safety in product design, even when it could harm users' mental well-being.
- The case pits Meta against California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey in a trial expected to last about six weeks.
- The states allege Meta knowingly designed addictive features for children and hid the harms from the public.
- The lawsuit also says Meta collected data on children under 13 without parental consent, violating federal law; Meta says users must be at least 13 and denies the allegations.
A former Meta engineering director told jurors 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 remark during his second day on the stand in a federal trial against Meta.
Bejar said Meta's product decisions favored engagement and profit over safety, and that the company focused on how often and how long people used its platforms. He said that approach could come at the expense of users' mental well-being.
The trial began Tuesday in federal court in Oakland and is expected to last about six weeks. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are the plaintiffs in the case, which is part of a broader set of lawsuits filed by 29 states in 2023 over child safety and privacy.
The states accuse Meta of deliberately designing addictive features for young users and hiding the harms. They also say the company collected data on children under 13 without parental consent. Meta denies the claims and says its platforms require users to be at least 13 years old, consistent with federal law.
前Meta工程主管称Instagram对13岁以下儿童采取“睁一只眼闭一只眼”做法
前Meta工程主管阿图罗·贝哈尔在奥克兰向陪审员表示，Instagram对13岁以下用户采取了“睁一只眼闭一只眼”的处理方式。贝哈尔曾就儿童网络安全问题在国会作证，他是在这起针对Meta的联邦审判中第二天出庭时作出上述陈述。
贝哈尔称，Meta在产品设计上把用户参与度和利润放在安全之上，公司重点关注用户使用平台的频率和时长。他表示，这种做法可能以牺牲用户心理健康为代价。
这起审判于周二在奥克兰联邦法院开庭，预计持续约六周。原告是加州、科罗拉多州、肯塔基州和新泽西州；该案属于2023年29个州提起的更大范围诉讼的一部分，涉及儿童安全和隐私问题。
这些州指控Meta故意设计会让年轻用户上瘾的功能，并向公众隐瞒危害。诉状还称，Meta在未获得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至少年满13岁，这与联邦法律一致。