Four whistleblowers have come forward to reveal that Meta has reportedly kept its safety research on VR headsets' dangers and risks for child and underaged teenage users.
The latest revelation was shared with Congress alongside supporting documents that verify the claims, with the issue dating as early as 2021 when Meta, then Facebook, was revealed to have been downplaying the platform's effect on children's mental health.
Moreover, the whistleblowers revealed that Meta has changed its policies on researching sensitive topics involving children after the initial whistleblower incident.
Meta Reportedly Suppressed Kids' VR Dangers Research
The Washington Post's latest report reveals that two current and two former Meta employees have come forward to submit the documents supporting their claims to Congress, revealing how the company chose to keep this information away from public record.
The Meta employees claimed that after the whistleblower incident in 2021 with Frances Haugen, the company has moved towards screening and vetoing the research on VR and youth safety internally.
Additionally, this prompted a policy change within Meta where sensitive research topics are now off-limits, including the likes of children, gender, race, politics, and harassment.
Whistleblowers Expose Meta on VR Safety Concerns
According to TechCrunch, a former Meta researcher for VR, Jason Sattizahn, claimed that his superior made him delete an interview with a teen who claimed that his 10-year-old brother was sexually propositioned on Meta's "Horizon Worlds."
Meta spokesperson Dani Lever claimed that the allegations are false and pre-determined as the company has allowed over 180 Reality Labs research projects to take place since 2022, centering on topics like youth safety.
Meta and the Whistleblowers Against Them
Mark Zuckerberg's social media empire has seen its fair share of employees-turned-whistleblowers coming forward and revealing secrets that the company has kept from public knowledge.
One of the biggest scandals of this decade took place in 2021 when Frances Haugen, one of the most prolific Facebook whistleblowers, stepped up to reveal the company's shady actions to Congress. Here, she revealed how Facebook (now Meta) downplays the effects of its social media platforms to underage kids, especially girls, and how it contributes to their mental health deterioration.
During this case, the whistleblower shone a new light on Meta and exposed the company for prioritizing clicks and likes over teenage mental health, especially on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Because of this, the US government and its legislators have launched a massive probe into social media platforms operating in the country and how their services affect children's mental health.
This called companies like Google, TikTok, Twitter/X, Snap, and more to testify in the hearing, with each company being put in the hot seat about their measures towards children's safety on their respective platforms.
Originally published on Tech Times
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