Former Meta Executive Makes Serious Allegations Over Instagram’s Child Safety Policies

Former Meta engineering director Arturo Bejar has made serious allegations about Instagram’s approach to child safety while testifying in a US federal court. During the second day of the hearing, Bejar alleged that Instagram followed a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding children under the age of 13. According to his testimony, the platform did not actively question users suspected of being underage, while children could continue using the service without disclosing their age.

Bejar further alleged that Meta prioritized user engagement, time spent on its platforms and profits over safety while developing new tools. He claimed that research had found a significant number of children under 13 using Instagram and that Meta had sophisticated tools for identifying fake accounts, but lacked adequate systems to accurately determine users’ ages. He also said employee performance evaluations, including promotions and salary increases, were linked to user numbers. Meta has rejected the allegations.

Bejar worked at Facebook from 2009 to 2015 and later served as a contractor on app safety issues at Meta between 2019 and 2021. He also made allegations against Meta during a US congressional hearing in 2023, claiming that company leadership was aware of potential mental health concerns associated with its platforms.

The case was filed by a coalition of 29 US states in federal court in Oakland. Authorities allege that Meta deliberately designed its social media platforms to encourage children and teenagers to spend excessive amounts of time on them. California Attorney General Megan O’Neill argued that maximizing user engagement, collecting personal information and withholding relevant facts were central to Meta’s business model. If Meta loses the case, the company could potentially face damages running into trillions of rupees.