You might like … Meta Platforms Inc. Concerns have surfaced that the company buried pivotal studies exposing the risks of virtual reality (VR) for children. As of today, four whistleblowers have bravely come forward. They are shining a light on the toxic culture at Meta and sounding alarm on whether the company’s products are safe for its youngest users.
These claims have been strongly denied by Meta spokesperson Dani Lever, who has said the charges are baseless and preordained. She emphasized the company’s efforts to get ahead of the curve on youth safety. Since 2022, they’ve funded more than 180 Reality Labs research projects, with a significant number of those projects aimed at helping to protect minors in the evolving digital space. Opponents say when it comes to their own actions, the company is doing the opposite of what they’re promoting.
Whistleblower Revelations
Whistleblowers’ allegations are not new and unfortunately, they seem to fit a disturbing pattern in Meta’s treatment of sensitive data. Frances Haugen, the former Facebook whistleblower who first exposed the company’s harmful practices to Congress in 2021. In the months since, four more employees have come forward, shedding light on allegations of the company putting profit before user safety.
In his testimony, Jason Sattizahn, a former Meta researcher focused on VR, gave an especially powerful example of this alleged suppression. He told us a story about his boss’s instruction. He was subsequently required to delete a podcast interview with a young woman who had documented her horrifying encounters in Meta’s “Horizon Worlds.” The teen even shared that his 10-year-old little brother was offered sexual acts in the virtual world. This disturbing development forces serious questions about the safety of the platform’s youth-oriented measures.
Government Investigation and Growing Concerns
All of sudden, concern is bubbling over about kids’ mental health related to social media. In turn, U.S. legislators have initiated a series of inquiries into the industry. That’s why the federal government is now conducting an investigation to assess how these platforms are affecting children and teens. They want to know whether companies like Meta are doing enough to protect them. Overall, the increased critical lens on VR draws attention to a larger public discourse around the impact of immersive technologies on young people.
Publicly, Meta’s spokesperson said that research and development on responsible company is as a whole should be dedicated to it. Yet the countervailing testimony from multiple whistleblowers points to a troubling distinction between corporate press release and corporate reality. Now, one by one, more people are coming forward with like experiences. This unprecedented explosion begs new questions for accountability and transparency from one of the world’s largest social media companies.
The Path Forward
The allegations and current investigations add real risk and uncertainty to Meta’s future. How the company plans on addressing the issues whistleblowers and lawmakers have pointed out remains to be seen. Through research, the company works to make sure that safety is core of its operations and culture. It is under increasing fire – internally and externally – to prove tangible outcomes.
