Meta adopted a "don’t ask, don’t tell" approach to child safety on its platforms, a former company safety engineer has told a US court.
Arturo Béjar, who worked on Facebook and Instagram safety systems, testified that Meta knew its products could expose young users to harmful content, including sexual harassment, violent material and posts from predators.
Béjar gave evidence during a landmark trial in Oakland, California, brought by 29 US states that accuse Meta of deliberately designing addictive platforms that harmed children.
The states claim the company prioritised engagement and profits over protecting young users.
The former engineer told jurors he repeatedly raised concerns with senior executives, including chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.
Béjar estimated he spoke with Zuckerberg around 100 times during his time at Meta.
In 2021, Béjar sent Zuckerberg an email warning about reports of harmful experiences among teenagers using Facebook and Instagram.
He said the message was sent after Zuckerberg publicly claimed the company did not prioritise profits over safety.
Béjar testified: "I felt that he created a false and misleading impression of Facebook’s commitment to young people."
When asked whether Zuckerberg responded to his email, Béjar said: "No. I didn’t hear back from...
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