A former Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower testified before a Senate panel Tuesday on the harmful effects of social media on children and teens. Arturo Béjar told senators Meta abides by a culture of “see no evil, hear no evil” despite executives being repeatedly told the algorithms that keep users hooked on Facebook and Instagram push content that promotes bullying, drug abuse, eating disorders and self-harm. Béjar also said teenagers are regularly subjected to unwanted sexual advances. Arturo Béjar laid the responsibility squarely on Meta executives, including Mark Zuckerberg.
Arturo Béjar: “One, Meta knows the harm that kids experience on their platform, and their executives know that their measures fail to address it. Two, there are actionable steps that Meta could take to address the problem. And, three, they are deciding, time and time again, to not tackle these issues.”