Arturo Béjar, who worked for Meta in two separate stints, said that he believes whistleblowing on the company’s practices will mean he will never work in the tech industry again.
Béjar said that he first became aware of the problem with Instagram when his daughter started using the platform at the age of 14. He said that she began receiving unwanted sexual advances from other users, and that there was no easy way for her to report the harassment.
Béjar said that he believes Meta could easily implement a button that would allow teens to flag messages as sexual advances. He also said that the company should be more transparent about the harms that teens are experiencing on Instagram.
In response to Béjar’s allegations, Meta said that it has created several features to protect teens online, including anonymous notifications of potentially hurtful content. The company also said that it has introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families in having safe, positive experiences online.
Béjar’s testimony comes as lawmakers in the US are considering legislation that would require social media companies to do more to protect children online. The bill, which has been dubbed the “Protect Kids Online Act,” is currently in committee.
Key Takeaways
- A former Meta employee testified before US Congress on Tuesday.
- The employee alleged that Meta is not doing enough to protect teens from sexual harassment on Instagram.
- The employee said that he believes whistleblowing on the company’s practices will mean he will never work in the tech industry again.
- Meta said that it has created several features to protect teens online.
- Lawmakers in the US are considering legislation that would require social media companies to do more to protect children online.