{"id":4205,"date":"2026-08-20T12:11:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:11:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=4205"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:11:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:11:14","slug":"zuckerberg-encouraged-growth-over-child-safety-ex-meta-executive-testifies-at-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=4205","title":{"rendered":"Zuckerberg encouraged growth over child safety, ex-Meta executive testifies at trial"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

OAKLAND, California (Reuters) \u2014 A former engineering director at Meta Platforms testified on Wednesday that \u200bCEO Mark Zuckerberg fostered a culture that treated child safety as secondary to growth and engagement on Facebook and Instagram.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump\u2019s war on woke leaves almost $300 million in small-business loans in limbo<\/a><\/p>\n

Arturo B\u00e9jar, a vocal critic of Meta\u2019s \u200csafety record, made the allegation during his second day of testimony in a landmark trial over claims brought by a coalition of states that could reshape Facebook and Instagram, some of the most popular apps on the planet.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey accuse Meta of designing the platforms to hook young users, fueling anxiety, depression and even suicide, and misleading consumers about their safety.<\/p>\n

Those states and 25 others also accuse Meta of violating federal law \u200bby improperly collecting and using personal data of children under 13 while they used its platforms.<\/p>\n

Experts have said the trial is the biggest legal test yet of social media\u2019s \u200beffects on young users.<\/p>\n

It began in the Oakland, California, federal court on Tuesday and is expected to last six weeks. Jurors are expected to \u2060issue an advisory verdict, and U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will decide whether Meta is liable and, if so, determine any civil penalties and changes to Facebook and Instagram.<\/p>\n

Moving Mountains<\/h3>\n

B\u00e9jar, \u200bthe states\u2019 first witness, said Zuckerberg was closely involved in much decision-making, and the Menlo Park, California-based company\u2019s top-down culture ensured that product design changes would occur only if he ordered them.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cIf Mark \u200bmakes something a priority, mountains move in months,\u201d B\u00e9jar said.<\/p>\n

He disputed Zuckerberg\u2019s October 2021 comments following allegations by whistleblower Frances Haugen that Meta knew its products were unsafe for children and knew how to make them safe, but did nothing in order to pursue higher profits.<\/p>\n

Zuckerberg said at the time that Meta constantly used research to improve its products. In response, B\u00e9jar said he emailed Zuckerberg to flag his safety concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so false, every \u200bpart of it,\u201d B\u00e9jar said. \u201cYou just cannot trust Mark Zuckerberg with kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Misogynistic comments toward daughter<\/h3>\n

B\u00e9jar worked at Meta from 2009 to 2015, and examined the well-being of teenage Instagram users while \u200bemployed as an independent contractor from 2019 to 2021.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

He testified before a U.S. Senate committee in 2023 that Meta was aware of harassment and other harms facing teenagers on its platforms but failed to address them.<\/p>\n

Read more Psychologist testifies Lindsay Clancy was not criminally responsible in killing of 3 children<\/a><\/p>\n

Under cross-examination \u200cfrom Meta\u2019s \u2060lawyer Brian Stekloff, B\u00e9jar acknowledged he was unaware of the harm his teenage daughter would face when he helped her set up an Instagram account, which she still has.<\/p>\n

B\u00e9jar said his daughter wanted a space where women could discuss cars but came to experience misogynistic comments, including about her breasts. She was 16 in 2021 by the time her father emailed Zuckerberg about safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kept an eye on how distressing it was for her,\u201d B\u00e9jar said. \u201cShe got a good following, at the price of harm.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his testimony, B\u00e9jar also acknowledged that Meta employs hundreds of people focused on \u200bsafety, including people he considered well-qualified. B\u00e9jar said \u200bhe was not working directly with Zuckerberg \u2060during his second stint, and as an outside contractor lacked access to some resources.<\/p>\n

Profit over safety<\/h3>\n

Earlier, B\u00e9jar told a lawyer for the states that Meta prioritized user engagement and profit over safety.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

He said a tool Meta uses that encourages users to take a break, a key feature of \u200bMeta\u2019s defense, was \u201cdesigned to fail\u201d because it is not the default setting and reminders are easy to ignore.<\/p>\n

He called it \u201ccommon knowledge\u201d at Meta \u200bthat most parents did not \u2060have time to understand the company\u2019s products or how their children used them. Meta, he said, had technology to flag potentially millions of users suspected to be under age 13, but adopted a \u201cdon\u2019t ask, don\u2019t tell\u201d policy because it would boost profits longer-term.<\/p>\n

After B\u00e9jar finished testifying, jurors heard recorded testimony from Elena Davis, a Meta researcher who looked at the alleged addictiveness of social media.<\/p>\n

She read from her \u2060report that Meta \u200bcould change Facebook to have \u201cless potential to be habit-forming and provide support for people to \u2018break\u2019 Facebook habits they don\u2019t \u200bwant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meta faces thousands of similar lawsuits over alleged harm to children. B\u00e9jar has been a key witness against the company at four trials. One of those cases, brought by New Mexico, resulted in $942 million in damages and penalties and an order \u200brequiring Meta to change its platforms in the state.<\/p>\n

Read more U.S. designates American held by China as wrongfully detained<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A former engineering director at Meta Platforms testified on Wednesday that \u200bCEO Mark Zuckerberg fostered a culture that treated child safety as secondary to growth and engagement on Facebook and Instagram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-media"],"yoast_head":"\nZuckerberg encouraged growth over child safety, ex-Meta executive testifies at trial - Trusted Moving Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=4205\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Zuckerberg encouraged growth over child safety, ex-Meta executive testifies at trial - 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