A former Facebook whistleblower has criticized a major settlement between Meta and U.S. regulators, arguing it fails to adequately address the risks posed by the company’s platforms to young users. The settlement, reached after a landmark trial, imposes new restrictions on Facebook and Instagram but falls short of ensuring their safety, according to the key witness in the case. Comparing the limitations to a restricted but still harmful allowance, the whistleblower suggests the agreement does little to mitigate the broader dangers of social media use. Critics question whether the changes will meaningfully curb the harm these platforms inflict on vulnerable demographics.
Exclusive: Arturo Béjar, an ex-Facebook employee and whistleblower, said outcome ‘is not an all clear to say the product is safe’Meta agrees to major changes to Facebook and Instagram in settlementThe star witness in the US government’s landmark trial against Meta believes that a multibillion-dollar settlement reached on Wednesday does not go far enough to stop the social media giant’s harms to young users.“The limitations that are in the agreement are the equivalent of saying: ‘Well you can smoke as many cigarettes as you can in two hours a day,’” said whistleblower and ex-Facebook employee Arturo Béjar. “It doesn’t make the cigarettes any safer.” Continue reading...
