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Facebook Knows Its Instagram App is Dangerous for Teen Girls, But Put “Astronomical Profits Over People,” Whistle-Blower Told Congress Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion in 2012. Since acquiring Instagram, Facebook has uncovered through internal research that the Instagram platform is linked to eating disorders and suicidal thoughts in teenage girls, according to a Facebook whistleblower. A […]
Instagram app is dangerous for teen girls
Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion in 2012. Since acquiring Instagram, Facebook has uncovered through internal research that the Instagram platform is linked to eating disorders and suicidal thoughts in teenage girls, according to a Facebook whistleblower. A Wall Street Journal news report asserts that Facebook’s internal documents prove the social media giant has known its Instagram app is harmful, causes teen mental-health issues, and that Facebook has continuously downplayed or kept these findings from the public.
Instagram, a subsidiary of Facebook, has been linked to severe depression and other mental health issues by Facebook’s own internal research. However, Facebook chose to hide these discoveries to protect Instagram’s profits and growth.
Parker Waichman LLP is a national plaintiff’s law firm that helps victims and families of victims obtain legal justice and recoup substantial financial compensation for harm caused by dangerous products and services. If Instagram harmed you, or if your child used Instagram and then committed suicide, developed an eating disorder, or attempted to commit suicide, was hospitalized for emergency psychiatric care due to an Instagram addiction or bullying, speak with one of our attorneys about your potential claim.
Parker Waichman LLP s ready to listen and discuss your legal options to obtain legal justice for you or your child. For your free consultation, contact our law firm today by using our live chat or calling 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
U.S. Senators Accuse Facebook of Ignoring its Own Internal Research That Shows Instagram’s Algorithms Harm Teenage Users
A bipartisan U.S. Senate Committee hearing squeezed an executive from Facebook to explain company documents published by The Wall Street Journal that show Instagram makes body image issues more damaging for many teen girls and increases anxiety and depression in teen Instagram users.
According to U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D., Massachusetts.), “Instagram is that first childhood cigarette meant to get teens hooked early. Exploiting the peer pressure of popularity and ultimately endangering their health.” Senator Markey also stated that Facebook was acting like Big Tobacco because the company was pushing a product, Instagram, that their top executives know Instagram and its algorithm are harmful to young people, but the company “pushes it to them early.”
Facebook Whistleblower Testifies Before U.S. Senate Panel to Discuss Instagram’s Impact on Teen Mental Health
On October 5, 2021, a Senate subcommittee hearing listened to Frances Haugen, the former Facebook executive who amassed corporate documents known as The Wall Street Journal’s Facebook Files, testify about the internal documents. Facebook also published a statement and two of the documents (Part 1, Part 2) about its internal teen user research.
According to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.), “The damage to self-interest self-worth inflicted by Facebook today will haunt a generation.” Mr. Blumenthal, the chairman of the Consumer Protection Subcommittee, described the Facebook internal documents made public by Ms. Haugen as “bombshell” evidence.
In Ms. Haugen’s prepared testimony, she claims Facebook continues to choose “profits over users’ safety, and keeps users and regulators in the dark about its actions.” She also alleges, “Facebook became a $1 trillion company by paying for its profits with our safety, including the safety of our children. And that is unacceptable.” Ms. Haugen reported that Facebook “hides behind walls that keep the eyes of researchers and regulators from understanding the true dynamics of the system.”
According to the Wall Street Journal’s “Facebook Files” series, which is based on the documents Ms. Haugen collected and interviews with former and current Facebook employees, Facebook’s rules and algorithms foster discord, favor elites, and allow human traffickers and drug cartels to use its services openly. An article about Instagram’s effects on teenage girls’ mental health was the impetus for a hearing before the same Senate panel last week.
Instagram lawsuits
According to Ms. Haugen, when Facebook is discussing the addictiveness of its social media products internally, company executives use the term “problematic use.” Ms. Haugen recommends that the Senate Committee obtain all Facebook documents that are “related to what Facebook knows about parents’ lack of knowledge about their platform.” According to Ms. Haugen, the documents she read, Facebook admits that parents today do not understand how dangerous Instagram is and that “at a minimum” Facebook should be required to reveal what it knows in that context.”
According to Frances, the issues stem from the design of the algorithms or Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and that breaking up the company would make change twice as difficult.
Research Shows Social Media Offers Benefits and Harm to Users
According to PewResearch.org, social media helps teens connect and make new friends. However, but for some teenagers, sharing their life online brings added social burdens. About 40% of teens polled feel social media makes them feel pressure to only post content that “makes them look good to others or will generate a lot of likes or comments. Moreover, social media can be hostile, leading to cruel forms of cyberbullying. The poll found that 45% of teenagers feel overwhelmed by all of the drama found on social media. Nearly half of teen social media users often unfriend or unfollow other people on social media. 78% of the teens polled stated that they unfollowed or blocked users because of too much drama, and 52% cited bullying as the reason to unfollow or unfriend someone.
Whistleblower Says Facebook’s Financial Growth Projections Usually “Unraveled Improving Safety”
According to Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, the company’s growth teams frequently work “at cross purposes” with teams that are responsible for platform safety. The internal documents supplied by Mr. Haugen exposed company research that shows Instagram led to anxiety and depression in a lot of teenage girls. In other words, Ms. Haugen reported to the Senate subcommittee that several safety initiatives initiated by Facebook’s “integrity” teams have been frequently “undone by new growth projects that counteract those remedies.” She also asserted that Facebook’s teams were usually understaffed and were unable to resolve the safety issues sufficiently. She reported that one team could only manage about one-third of the team’s cases in its project queue.
Ms. Haugen alleged that when given a choice, Facebook / Instagram leaders typically made decisions to preserve profits instead of improving the safety of the platforms’ users. She also stated that profits over safety are part of the corporate culture that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg built since Mr. Zuckerberg serves as both CEO and chairman of Facebook’s board, and Zuckerberg has majority voting control.
According to the Facebook whistleblower, “There is no one currently holding Mark accountable but himself.”
Addictiveness of Facebook/Instagram
Frances Haugen informed the Senate subcommittee that Facebook uses terms like “problematic use” when talking internally about the addictiveness of its products. She also advised the Senate subcommittee to acquire Facebook’s internal documents related to this issue. Moreover, Ms. Haugen recommended that the Senators seek company documents correlated to what Facebook knows about parents’ lack of information concerning its platforms. She stated that the internal documents prove Facebook knows that “parents today do not know of how dangerous Instagram is and at a minimum Facebook should have to disclose what it knows in that context.”
Frances Haugen stated that she hopes the public realizes that Facebook can change, but the company will not change on its own volition. Ms. Haugen stated that her goal was to report the problems and explain that the issues could be solved. However, she said Facebook’s lack of transparency had been the reason why these issues have not been addressed.
Instagram, a subsidiary of Facebook, has been linked to severe depression and other mental health issues by Facebook’s own internal research. However, Facebook chose to hide these discoveries to protect Instagram’s profits and growth.
Parker Waichman LLP is an award-winning national plaintiff’s law firm that helps victims and families of victims obtain legal justice and recover economic compensation for harm caused by dangerous products and services. Our firm is offering victims and parents of victims harmed by Instagram. Contact us if you were harmed or if your child used Instagram and committed suicide, attempted to commit suicide, or was hospitalized for short-term emergency psychiatric care due to an Instagram addiction or bullying.
Parker Waichman LLP s ready to listen and discuss your legal options to obtain legal justice for you or your child. For your free consultation, contact our law firm today by using our live chat or calling 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529).