Former Meta Employee Testifies in Major Child Safety Trial

A landmark legal battle over child safety has entered a new phase as a former Meta employee shared his experiences in federal court. Arturo Béjar, who worked at the company for eight years, provided testimony this week in a case led by a group of U.S. states, including California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. These states have sued Meta, claiming that the company knowingly designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive for young users and failed to protect them from harmful content.

According to NPR News, Béjar is a central witness for the states. During his time on the stand in Oakland, California, he described a company culture that was obsessed with user numbers and financial growth. He argued that safety was often pushed to the side. Béjar told the court that he believed it was almost impossible to introduce new features that would improve user wellbeing because the company consistently chose policies that increased revenue instead. He described safety as not being a meaningful priority for the organization.

Béjar, who worked on cyberbullying issues and later joined Instagram’s wellbeing team, claimed that the company’s leadership was aware of the risks. He specifically pointed to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Béjar testified that he interacted with Zuckerberg many times and argued that the CEO was not being honest when he publicly claimed that Meta did not prioritize profit over safety. Béjar noted that he had seen internal studies from Meta that showed teenagers were being exposed to harmful content, which often led to negative feelings and mental health struggles.

This testimony follows a 2021 incident where another whistleblower, Frances Haugen, shared internal documents with The Wall Street Journal. At that time, Zuckerberg posted on Facebook to deny that the company put profits above safety. On the stand, Béjar stated that, based on his own experience, that public statement was not accurate. He explained that one of the main reasons he decided to speak out was seeing how his own daughter was treated as a teenager while using Instagram.

Meta has strongly denied these allegations. In his opening statement, attorney Paul Schmidt argued that the company is sensitive to the risks that teenagers face online. He told the court that Meta has worked hard to address these problems and has not tried to deceive the public. The company maintains that it cares about the safety and wellbeing of its younger users, despite the claims made by the state attorneys.

This trial is the result of a long-term effort by state officials to hold social media companies accountable for their impact on minors. The attorneys for the states argue that features like the "like" button and infinite scrolling—a design that keeps content appearing on the screen without the user having to click to see more—are specifically built to keep young people on the apps for as long as possible. They claim this design creates an unhealthy environment for children and teens.

Béjar is no stranger to this topic. In 2023, he spoke before a Senate committee to share his concerns about how Meta’s platforms promoted bullying, drug abuse, eating disorders, and self-harm. He has also given detailed interviews to The Wall Street Journal about his attempts to raise these issues while he was still employed at the company. His current testimony in federal court is seen as a key part of the states' case against the social media giant.

As the trial continues, observers are waiting to see what evidence will be presented next. The state attorneys have not yet confirmed if they will call Mark Zuckerberg to testify in person. The outcome of this case could be very important, as it may lead to new rules or changes in how social media companies manage their platforms for young people. For now, the legal teams are continuing to present their arguments in court, while the public watches to see how the court will decide on these serious accusations.