Zuckerberg lied about concern for child safety, Meta whistleblower testifies at landmark trial
Arturo Béjar, former Meta safety engineer, tells jury tech company was aware of products’ potential harm to children
TL;DR
- Former Meta safety engineer Arturo Béjar testified that the company was aware of the harm its social media platforms caused to children.
- Béjar claims Meta's recommendations pushed harmful content, including from sexual predators, and that executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, did not act on these warnings.
- The federal trial was brought by 29 US state attorneys general, alleging Meta designed addictive products harming children and violated data privacy.
- Meta denies the allegations, stating they offer tools to address social media struggles and prevent underage users.
- Béjar's testimony highlighted how features like infinite scroll boost ad revenue, contributing to Meta's profits.
- He shared personal experience of his daughter facing harassment on Instagram and his survey finding that 51% of teens reported harmful experiences in a week, with content removal only 0.02% of the time.
- Meta's legal team attempted to downplay Béjar's testimony by highlighting his positive work history and relationships within the company.