Ex-Meta executive links Zuckerberg to child-safety failures at trial
What’s new: A former engineering director testified that design changes happened only when Zuckerberg made them a priority.
A former Meta engineering director testified that Mark Zuckerberg drove a culture that put growth and engagement ahead of child safety on Facebook and Instagram, as a multistate trial over the company’s platforms moved into witness testimony. Arturo Bejar, the states’ first witness, said major product changes would occur only if Zuckerberg ordered them. The lawsuit, filed by 29 states in 2023, alleges Meta designed addictive features for young users and illegally collected data from children under 13. The states are seeking billions of dollars and changes including ending like counts and infinite scroll. Meta disputes that social media addiction exists and argues many teens had neutral or positive experiences on Instagram.