Senators ask Meta why they waited so long to make teen accounts private by default

A group of senators He wrote a letter To Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, asking why his company delayed rolling out basic protections for users under 18. The letter, signed by Brian Schatz (D-Haiti), Katie Britt (R-Illinois), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), and Christopher Coons (D-Germany), cites Court documents were unsealed late last year Which revealed allegations that Meta may have downplayed the harm of its platforms in favor of increasing user engagement.

It started dead automatically Put teens on Instagram in a private place and more restrictive calculations in September 2024, before an extension Facebook and Messenger protection last year. But an unredacted court document filed as part of a nationwide child safety lawsuit on social media alleges that Meta considered making all teen accounts private in 2019, but reportedly decided against the plan after finding it would “potentially break engagement.”

In the letter, the senators press Zuckerberg for more information about why Meta “delayed” the launch of its virtual feature for teens, as well as the teams involved in the decision. The letter also asks Meta questions about some of the other accusations laid out in the court document, including whether Meta “stopped” research or studies on the well-being of its users and platforms if they led to undesirable results, as suggested in the filing.

“We are deeply concerned by allegations that Meta not only did not know about these risks, but may have delayed product design changes or prevented public disclosure of these findings,” the letter said.

The senators also want more information about Meta’s policies for removing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and sex trafficking-related content after an unredacted court document revealed testimony from the company’s former head of safety and well-being, who claimed Meta would only suspend someone’s account after they had incurred 17 violations “due to prostitution and solicitation.” Senators give Meta until March 6 to respond to their questions.