Former Meta Engineer Testifies as Landmark US Trial Examines Social Media’s Impact on Young Users
There’s a trial happening right now that could genuinely change how social media companies answer for what their platforms do to kids and this week, the man on the stand used to work at Meta himself. Arturo Bejar spent years inside the company, first at Facebook from 2009 to 2015, then came back as a consultant from 2019 to 2021. Now he’s testifying that Meta knew really knew that young users on its platforms were struggling with anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts, and that the company didn’t do nearly enough about it. He’s also taken aim at how Meta measured “safety” internally, suggesting the company cared more about tracking policy violations on paper than actually addressing the harm kids were experiencing. This isn’t just one disgruntled ex-employee venting, either. Bejar had flagged these concerns to Meta’s senior leadership while he was still there, so his testimony gives the court and the public a rare look inside how those warnings were actually handled at the top.
So what’s actually on trial here?
Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are leading this federal case, which is part of a much bigger coalition 29 states in total arguing that Meta built Instagram and Facebook to be addictive for kids and teens on purpose. They’re also accusing the company of misleading the public about how safe its products really are, and of breaking federal privacy law by collecting data from kids under 13.
Meta, for its part, is pushing back hard on all of it. The company says it’s poured real resources into safety features and argues that the link between social media and teen mental health is way more complicated than the states are making it out to be. Meta has also tried to poke holes in Bejar’s credibility, bringing up questions about deleted messages but the judge decided to let him testify anyway.
This isn’t happening in a vacuum
This trial comes right on the heels of another major loss for Meta earlier this year, a jury in Los Angeles ruled that Meta and YouTube were responsible for harm done to a young woman who says she got addicted to social media as a kid. Meta’s appealing that one. Taken together, these cases are starting to test something pretty fundamental: can tech companies actually be held legally responsible for how they build their products, not just what content ends up on them?
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Why you should care even if you don’t use Facebook
At the core of this is a question a lot of parents have probably already asked themselves: how much choice does a kid really have when an app is engineered with endless scroll, algorithmic recommendations, constant notifications to keep them hooked? The legal argument being tested here is whether those design tricks cross a line when the users are minors.
If the states win, it could get expensive for Meta, and it might not stop there other platforms built the same way could find themselves in the crosshairs next, and lawmakers could feel more pressure to pass tougher child-safety rules for tech. For Meta, this trial is bigger than a single lawsuit. It’s a direct challenge to the story the company has told for years: that it can keep billions of people engaged and keep them safe at the same time. As Bejar keeps testifying, the real question the court is wrestling with isn’t just what Meta knew, it’s what they chose to do about it.
FAQs
What is the Meta youth safety trial about?
The trial examines allegations that Meta deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to encourage addictive use among children and teenagers while failing to adequately address potential risks.
Who is Arturo Bejar?
Arturo Bejar is a former Meta engineering executive who worked at the company from 2009 to 2015 and later served as a consultant. He has raised concerns about Meta’s handling of youth safety.
What does Meta say about the allegations?
Meta denies wrongdoing and says it has taken substantial steps to improve safety for young users. The company disputes claims that its platforms were deliberately designed to harm children.
