A former Meta safety engineer, Arturo Béjar, testifies in a federal trial that Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg treated child safety as secondary to growth and engagement on Facebook and Instagram. Béjar describes a company culture that, in his view, downplays safety concerns even as the platforms are used by young people.
The testimony is part of a landmark case brought by a coalition of states that could substantially affect how Facebook and Instagram operate. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, along with other states, accuse Meta of designing its platforms to keep children and teens engaged, contributing to anxiety, depression and, in some claims, suicide. The states also allege Meta violates federal law by improperly collecting and using personal data of children under 13.
Across outlets, Béjar’s account centers on Meta’s internal handling of safety issues. The Guardian and other reports say he claims Meta knew its systems could expose children to harmful content, including material involving sexual predators and violent or graphic images, and that executives did little to address concerns. The Korean Times and Global News emphasize Béjar’s assertion that Zuckerberg was closely involved and helped set top-down priorities that favored growth. Zuckerberg is expected to testify, and the trial is scheduled to last about six weeks.
