A former safety lead for one of Mark Zuckerberg’s social media apps alleged the company is not very strict when it comes to those who engaged in human trafficking. The claim comes from a lawsuit against Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, alleging that the social apps “relentlessly” pursued growth at all costs and “recklessly” ignored the impacts their products have on the mental health of children. Vaishnavi Jayakumar, Instagram’s former head of safety and well-being, testified that she was shocked when she learned Meta had a “17x” strike policy toward those who reportedly engaged in “trafficking of humans for sex.” She claimed that could incur 16 violations for prostitution and sexual solicitation, with the 17th violation leading to account suspension. Jayakumar said this was a “very, very high strike threshold” compared to the rest of the industry, with internal documentation corroborating her claim.
In a statement, Meta strongly denied the claims. “We strongly disagree with these allegations, which rely on cherry-picked quotes and misinformed opinions in an attempt to present a deliberately misleading picture,” a spokesperson told Time. The company emphasized that for over a decade, they have listened to parents, researched issues that matter most, and made real changes to protect teens, such as introducing Teen Accounts with built-in protections and providing parents with controls to manage their teens’ experiences. They expressed pride in the progress made and stood by their record.
The lawsuit claims Meta was aware of the harms its platforms caused and knew about millions of adults trying to contact minors through its apps. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that Meta halted internal research that would show those who stopped using Facebook became less depressed or anxious, as reported by NBC News. The study, titled Project Mercury, was initiated in 2019 to explore the impact of Meta apps on polarization, news consumption, well-being, and daily social interactions. The lawsuit compared social media sites to “tobacco,” likening platforms to cigarette companies marketing their products to kids. A Google spokesperson said the lawsuit fundamentally misunderstands how YouTube works, stating that YouTube is a streaming service where people watch everything from live sports to podcasts to favorite creators, primarily on TV screens, not a social network. They also developed dedicated tools for young people guided by child safety experts, giving families control.
