Meta, the social media company behind Facebook and Instagram, has lost two jury trials this week in which it was found to have failed to adequately police its services, with cases in New Mexico and Los Angeles drawing on millions of internal documents as evidence.
Jurors reviewed executive emails, internal presentations and staff studies, including surveys showing a significant proportion of teenage Instagram users reporting unwanted sexual advances, and research that suggested reduced Facebook use lowered depression and anxiety, a study that was later halted by the company.
The cases centred on internal social science work Meta had funded to assess the effects of its products, a practice once regarded as a sign of corporate responsibility but reframed during the trials as evidence of what the company knew about harms to its users.
Brian Boland, a former Facebook executive who testified in both trials, said internal research teams had once operated with relative freedom but that this appeared no longer to be the case.
The verdicts follow the 2021 whistleblower leaks by Frances Haugen and come amid broader industry shifts that have seen some technology companies cut internal safety research teams and restrict access for outside academics.
Meta and Google's YouTube, which faced a separate but related action, said they would appeal.
The rulings have prompted warnings from experts that artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, face similar trade-offs as they grow.
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Kate Blocker said there was insufficient public visibility into the impact of AI products, arguing that while AI firms studied model behaviour and alignment, there was "a significant gap in research regarding the impact of chatbots and digital assistants on child development."
The verdicts have revived debate over whether internal safety research at major technology platforms will persist or be suppressed to limit legal exposure.
The recap
- Juries in New Mexico and Los Angeles issued verdicts against Meta.
- Jurors reviewed millions of internal documents and company research.
- Meta and YouTube have said they will appeal the verdicts.
