How Meta Executives Talked About Child Safety Behind the Scenes

February 27, 2026

TL;DR

Internal documents suggest Meta prioritized user growth and engagement over child safety for years.
Employees detailed severe risks to minors on platforms like Instagram, including 'Inappropriate Interactions with Children' (IIC T1), such as sextortion and sex trafficking.
The company delayed implementing restrictive safety features, such as making new teen accounts private by default, due to concerns about business impact.
Internal tests showed Meta's recommendation algorithm could funnel children to potential groomers.
Meta disputes prioritizing profit over safety, stating they investigated and responded to threats as they emerged.
The documents were disclosed as part of a lawsuit against Meta in New Mexico.
Recent audits show continued issues with adult-to-teen messaging and recommendations, even after some safety measures were implemented.
Meta has since rolled out additional safety features, including 'Teen Accounts' and content filtering, but some experts and legal figures remain critical.
The company claims that the Instagram version in the lawsuit is substantially different from the current product.

Continue reading the original article