Meta is facing another storm of controversy as whistleblowers accuse the company of hiding research about child safety issues in virtual reality spaces. Current and former employees have turned over thousands of documents to Congress, detailing how the company allegedly buried findings about predators and harmful encounters involving young users.
One of the most serious claims involves a researcher who was reportedly told to delete notes from an interview with a family in Germany. The family’s child had frequently met strangers in VR platforms, and a teenage boy said adults had propositioned his younger brother, who was under the age of ten. Although parents expressed concerns about grooming in Horizon Worlds, an internal report apparently left out the detail about the younger child’s experience. Meta, however, has denied wrongdoing and said nothing improper occurred during its research.
A company spokesperson argued that the accusations distort the truth. The statement explained that Meta has approved nearly 180 studies through its Reality Labs division since 2022, many of which focus on youth safety. According to the company, this research has already led to new protections, such as parental supervision tools, limits on unwanted contact, and default safety settings in Horizon Worlds. Meta said its teams have worked hard to safeguard young users and that the whistleblower accounts misrepresent their efforts.
Even so, lawmakers are paying attention. The Senate Judiciary...
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