After Whistleblower Shows Zuckerberg and Mosseri Knew Risks, Youth + Advocates Demand Accountability and Justice for Kids
Statement: From Zuck’s Dorm Room to Children’s Bedrooms, Meta Is Now Endangering Kids Lives; Only Investigation, Litigation, Legislation and Oversight Can Force Meta to Change
Nov 2 2023 — Responding to shocking revelations from whistleblower Arturo Bejar that one in eight users on Instagram under 16 reported unwanted sexual advances in a given week, Meta’s latest whistleblower in the Wall Street Journal, the Real Facebook Oversight Board issued the following:
“From its origins in Mark Zuckerberg’s dorm room to children’s bedrooms today, Meta is endangering the lives of children,” said a spokesperson for the Real Facebook Oversight Board. “For years Facebook/Meta has wriggled out of crisis after crisis, spinning, obfuscating, rebranding and stonewalling to keep billions flowing in. It’s time we said, in one voice: Never Again. We need immediate and swift accountability for Meta, and justice for the kids who have been harmed by this horrific company.”
“Reform — if even possible — starts with a full and complete investigation by regulators and law enforcement; litigation by the Attorneys General; legislation from the US Congress and real, enforceable external independent oversight,” the spokesperson added. “When the head of Instagram is told that one in eight users under the age of 16 said they experienced unwanted sexual advances in a given week still fails to act, something is deeply wrong. This demands a stick and not a carrot — it’s an outrage.”
“If Arturo Bejar is indeed headed in front of the US Senate next week, this should be the push that gets Congress to act on bipartisan legislation to safeguard America’s you like the Kids Online Safety Act and COPPA 2.0 that the Real Facebook Oversight Board has endorsed,” said Zamaan Qureshi, Policy Advisor for the Real Facebook Oversight Board, American University student, and co-founder of Design It For Us, which advocates for state and federal policy to protect kids and teens online. “These horrible revelations confirm the worst we feared about Meta, and should drive immediate legislative action.”
“This whistle blower has shined a bright light on what amounts to business as usual at Meta,” said Roger McNamee, Real Facebook Oversight Board Member and an early investor in Facebook. “The company has a long history of disregard for the well being of users and denial of responsibility when the consequences or its disregard become evident.”
“These concerns were raised the same day of Frances Haugen’s allegations, a period where Meta was pleading forgiveness,” said the Real Facebook Oversight Board. “Instead they cracked down, formalizing a raft of new rules for employees’ internal communication. Among the mandates for achieving “Narrative Excellence,” as the company called it, was to keep research data tight and never assert a moral or legal duty to fix a problem.’”
Youth advocates, experts and tech accountability leaders are available for interviews. This post will be updated with quotes from Real Facebook Oversight Board members.
Real Facebook Oversight Board members are available for interviews. Statements do not reflect the individual positions of all Real Facebook Oversight Board Members. Contact us at media@the-citizens.com. The Real Facebook Oversight Board is an emergency response to the ongoing harms on Facebook’s platforms from leading global scholars, experts and advocates.
