Meta faces lawsuit, allegedly hid the harmfulness of Facebook and Instagram

Meta is facing accusations that it deliberately concealed evidence of the harmful impact of Facebook and Instagram on the mental health of young users.

As part of the 'Mercury' project, researchers found that deactivating the platforms improved psychological wellbeing, but Meta stopped the research and did not publish the findings. The plaintiffs allege that the company prioritized growth over safety and knowingly designed ineffective security measures.

The documents also reveal that users had to be repeatedly caught in serious breaches in order to be removed. The case, handled by multiple school districts, also highlights similar practices in the case of Tivock, Google, and Snapchat.

Meta denies the accusations and says the research was methodologically flawed.

The internal documentation that the plaintiffs want made public is currently the subject of a lawsuit. A hearing is scheduled for January.

(reuters, swag)