Instagram Faces Allegations: States Claim Data Harvesting from Children's Accounts

"Allegations Mount: Meta Accused of Negligence in Safeguarding Children's Privacy on Facebook and Instagram"

A newly unredacted complaint reveals damning allegations against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, by attorneys general of 33 U.S. states. The filing exposes Meta's lax approach to preventing users under the age of 13 (U13s) from accessing its platforms, citing internal warnings that the company does "very little" in this regard.

According to the complaint, Meta received over 1.1 million reported instances of users under 13 since early 2019, a staggering figure that the company allegedly failed to address adequately. The states argue that Meta not only neglected to act on these reports but actively sought to conceal this information from the public.

Moreover, the complaint asserts that Meta "routinely continued to collect children's data," including emails and locations, without obtaining parental consent, a clear violation of privacy laws. The allegations form part of a broader legal action by U.S. states against Meta, accusing the tech giant of knowingly fostering social media addiction among the youth and misleading the public about the dangers of its platforms.

Internal documents and presentations presented in the filing shed light on Meta's strategic focus on captivating young users. One document acknowledged the addictive nature of the platform, stating that "Teens are insatiable when it comes to 'feel good' dopamine effects." Another highlighted the company's efforts to exploit the serendipitous aspect of discovery, triggering dopamine hits in teen users.

The filing also references an internal email from 2020, where former Facebook Vice President of Analytics, Alex Schultz, admitted to the company's abuse of the notifications channel. Notably, an internal Meta email from 2018 quantified the "Lifetime Value" of a 13-year-old user at approximately $270, revealing the financial motivation behind Meta's decisions.

As the legal battle unfolds, the unredacted details provide a closer look at the extent of Meta's alleged misconduct, shedding light on internal communications and strategies employed by the company to engage and monetize its young user base.

"Unveiling Disturbing Insights: Meta's Internal Emails Reveal Alarming Prioritization of Teen Data and Well-Being"

New revelations from internal emails paint a troubling picture of Meta Platforms' priorities, with a focus on obtaining and leveraging location data from teenagers for advertising purposes. In a 2017 email, the company expressed a goal to "get teens to share their location" to enhance product experiences and gather analytics around high schools.

The documents further expose unsettling findings from Meta's internal research. Around 70 percent of teenage girls in the United States were deemed likely to encounter "too much" sensitive content on the platform, according to the filing. More disturbingly, Meta's internal conclusions indicated that 13.5 percent of teen girls believed the platform exacerbated thoughts of suicide, while 17 percent believed it worsened eating issues.

In the same year, Meta employees reportedly considered commissioning a report to investigate bullying on the Instagram platform. Fiona Brown, Instagram's director for communication regarding well-being and community initiatives, expressed internal concerns that such a survey might unveil instances of children under 13 experiencing bullying on the platform.

A stark revelation from the internal documents was a candid admission: "We do very little to keep U13s off our platform."

These revelations come as part of an ongoing legal battle against Meta, where U.S. states accuse the tech giant of knowingly putting America's youth at risk by fostering addiction and neglecting to address the harmful impact of its platforms. The disclosed internal communications shed light on the company's awareness of sensitive issues affecting teenagers, raising questions about its commitment to user safety and well-being.

In conclusion, the internal emails from Meta Platforms, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, provide a disturbing glimpse into the company's priorities and awareness of concerning issues affecting teenagers on its platforms. The revelations expose a calculated effort to obtain and leverage location data from teenagers for advertising purposes, with a stated goal of enhancing product experiences and analytics around high schools.

The internal research findings, indicating that a significant percentage of teenage girls may encounter "too much" sensitive content on the platform, along with disturbing statistics on the platform's impact on mental health, add weight to the ongoing legal battle against Meta. Notably, the acknowledgment that Meta does "very little" to keep users under 13 off its platform raises serious questions about the company's commitment to protecting underage users.

The documents also unveil internal deliberations regarding the potential investigation of bullying on the Instagram platform, revealing internal apprehensions about what such a survey might uncover. This adds another layer to the accusations against Meta, as states allege that the company knowingly put America's youth at risk by fostering addiction and failing to address the harmful impact of its platforms.

As the legal proceedings continue, these internal communications contribute to a growing body of evidence highlighting Meta's awareness of sensitive issues affecting teenagers. The company's actions and decision-making processes, as revealed in these documents, will likely play a crucial role in shaping the narrative around social media platforms' responsibility for user safety and well-being, particularly among younger demographics.

Newsletter