‘Safety was an afterthought’: Ex-Meta engineer's explosive testimony on Instagram and kids

A former Meta engineering director testified that Instagram followed a 'don't ask, don't tell' approach toward users under 13, alleging the company prioritised engagement and profit over child safety.A former Meta engineering director on Wednesday (local time) accused Instagram of taking a "don't ask, don't tell" approach toward children under 13 on its platform, alleging that safety was treated as secondary to user engagement and profits, ABC News reported.Testimony in a landmark trialAccording to ABC News, Arturo Bejar, who has previously testified before the US Congress about child safety on Instagram, made the remarks during his second day of testimony in a landmark trial against Meta in federal court in Oakland, California."The attitude in particular on Instagram was 'Don't ask, don't tell,'" Bejar said when asked about the company's approach towards users under 13 years of age.Quick answers to key questions•5 QUESTIONSThe lawsuit alleges that Meta designed features that encourage addiction among children, violated privacy laws by collecting data from users under 13 without consent, and prioritized user engagement over child safety.Arturo Bejar highlighted that Meta ignored the presence of children under 13 on Instagram, focusing instead on user engagement metrics, which he claims treated safety as a secondary concern.Bejar testified that employee evaluations at Meta were primarily based on user engagement metrics, leading to an environment where the mental well-being of young users was neglected in favor of increasing profits.The term suggests that this lawsuit could lead to significant financial penalties for Meta, similar to the consequences faced by tobacco companies, as it highlights supposed deceptions regarding the harmful effects of its platforms on children’s mental health.Yes, given the allegations that Meta has knowingly allowed underage users on its platform and failed to implement effective age verification measures, parents should be vigilant about their children's social media use.Engagement over well-being, Bejar allegesBejar said Meta prioritised how frequently and how long users engaged with its products, even when such engagement could be detrimental to their mental well-being. "If you step away from the product, they are not going to make any money," he said.He said that employee performance reviews and compensation for those working on user-facing products were largely based on metrics such as the number of users and the amount of time they spent using the products. "In that context, safety was an afterthought," he said.The lawsuitThe trial, which began on Tuesday (local time), pits Meta against California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. The states are among 29 that sued the tech giant in 2023, accusing it of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly designing features that encouraged children to become addicted to its platforms.The lawsuit also alleges that Meta routinely collected data from children under 13 without parental consent, in violation of federal law.Meta's responseMeta has rejected the allegations and said evidence presented during the trial will demonstrate its commitment to safety."You will hear over the course of this case a lot of important issues, issues like teen mental health, issues like social media, issues like how teens use social media," Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt said on August 17, as cited by ABC News."Those are important issues, and they're issues where Meta believes that it has a responsibility. It has a responsibility to act on its own. It has a responsibility to try to work with teens and parents in partnership to try to address those questions," he said."Tens of thousands" of under-13 usersAccording to ABC News, Bejar found "tens of thousands" of children under 13 on Instagram through his research and said it was "common knowledge" within the company that such young children were using the platform."Meta has one of the most sophisticated infrastructures in the world to detect fake accounts," he said, adding that there were "no goals, no metrics" to detect and check the ages of children suspected to be under 13."Designed to fail": Bejar on Take a Break featureBejar also criticised Meta's "Take a Break" feature, introduced in 2021, calling it a tool that was "designed to fail". He said users had to activate the setting themselves and could easily dismiss it."A safety tool has to be on by default," he said.What the states are seekingThe states are seeking changes to the user experience on Facebook and Instagram as well as financial damages, which could include billions of dollars in penalties. ABC News said the trial is expected to last about six weeks.Who is Arturo BejarAccording to the news platform, Bejar worked at Facebook from 2009 to 2015 and is known for his work to combat cyberbullying. He returned from 2019 to 2021 as a contractor to work on safety issues. He testified before Congress in 2023 about social media and the teen mental health crisis, saying that Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, knew about harms Instagram was causing but chose not to make meaningful changes to address them.About the AuthorAnjali ThakurAnjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour. Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture. Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.