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In a recent legal case involving child abuse on Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram apps, details from a internal company documents reportedly suggest that in 2021, up to 100,000 children faced daily instances of sexual harassment on these platforms, including the circulation of explicit images.
As per a report by CNBC, the disclosure comes from sections of a complaint filed by the attorney general of New Mexico in an ongoing legal battle against Meta. The complaint addresses concerns about the company’s efforts to protect minors online, especially as these platforms gain widespread popularity among young users.
What the documents revealed
The filing includes information from a 2020 internal company chat at Meta, where an employee asked a colleague about measures taken specifically for addressing child grooming. The response suggested little to no effort in this area, suggesting that child safety was not a priority.
The unredacted documents further revealed that Meta executives responded urgently to a complaint from an Apple executive, whose 12-year-old child had reportedly been targeted on Facebook in the same year.
What Meta has to say
According to a Meta spokesperson, the company claims to have addressed many issues raised in the complaint.
“We want teens to have safe, age-appropriate experiences online, and we have over 30 tools to support them and their parents. We’ve spent a decade working on these issues and hiring people who have dedicated their careers to keeping young people safe and supported online. The complaint mischaracterizes our work using selective quotes and cherry-picked documents,” the company was quoted as saying.
However, the lawsuit alleges that Facebook and Instagram failed to protect underage users from online predators, despite Meta employees advocating for safety changes that were not implemented.
As per a report by CNBC, the disclosure comes from sections of a complaint filed by the attorney general of New Mexico in an ongoing legal battle against Meta. The complaint addresses concerns about the company’s efforts to protect minors online, especially as these platforms gain widespread popularity among young users.
What the documents revealed
The filing includes information from a 2020 internal company chat at Meta, where an employee asked a colleague about measures taken specifically for addressing child grooming. The response suggested little to no effort in this area, suggesting that child safety was not a priority.
The unredacted documents further revealed that Meta executives responded urgently to a complaint from an Apple executive, whose 12-year-old child had reportedly been targeted on Facebook in the same year.
What Meta has to say
According to a Meta spokesperson, the company claims to have addressed many issues raised in the complaint.
“We want teens to have safe, age-appropriate experiences online, and we have over 30 tools to support them and their parents. We’ve spent a decade working on these issues and hiring people who have dedicated their careers to keeping young people safe and supported online. The complaint mischaracterizes our work using selective quotes and cherry-picked documents,” the company was quoted as saying.
However, the lawsuit alleges that Facebook and Instagram failed to protect underage users from online predators, despite Meta employees advocating for safety changes that were not implemented.
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