Whistleblowers Claim Meta Suppressed Child Safety Research

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta allegedly suppressed internal research that revealed disturbing dangers to children using its virtual reality (VR) headsets and platforms, according to the Washington Post.

Documents recently submitted to Congress suggest that lawyers for Meta pressured researchers to downplay or even delete findings that suggested kids were being exposed to predators, harassment, and other risks inside the company’s VR world, the Post reported. Two whistleblowers who spoke to the outlet allege Meta’s legal team intentionally steered research to “establish plausible deniability” about the harms of its products.

One 2023 exchange shows a Meta lawyer advising a researcher to avoid collecting data proving children were using its VR devices, citing “regulatory concerns,” according to the outlet. Another memo urged researchers to reframe survey questions so participants wouldn’t share “sensitive” stories that carry publicity and legal risks.

In one instance in 2023, a mother allegedly told Meta researchers that she did not allow her kids to talk to strangers on VR headsets. Her teenage son corrected her, revealing that adults had repeatedly propositioned his younger brother, who was under 10. Researchers say their boss then ordered the comments erased from both recordings and written notes, the Post reported.

Jason Sattizahn, one of the researchers involved, said in an affidavit submitted to Congress that he was fired in April 2024 after clashing with Meta managers over restrictions on research. Another researcher who worked on VR studies quit the same year, citing ethical concerns.

They and two current employees provided thousands of internal memos, emails and presentations to lawmakers in May. Sattizahn and another former Meta employee are slated to testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law on