Meta defends its child safety efforts but critics say the social media giant falls short

The social media giant Meta defends its child safety measures amid a flurry of lawsuits claiming its platforms deteriorate young users' mental health. Meta asserts it has a long-standing commitment to safeguarding its youngest customers amidst the ongoing legal battles alleging its empire harms children. The company faces multiple lawsuits in California, with four states demanding billions in damages and requesting fundamental alterations to its operational practices.

Meta's lawyer, Paul Schmidt, stated in opening statements that the company takes child mental health and their online activities seriously and strives to act accordingly.

Critics, however, argue that Meta's safety track record is lacking, asserting that many of its protective measures are ineffective. Marc Berkman, the executive director of the Organization for Social Media Safety, contends that Meta introduced safeguards in response to public pressure without genuine concern. He believes there's been a lack of real institutional willingness to act in addressing children's safety concerns.

Meta has implemented several safety features, primarily focusing on harassment and offensive content. Users on Instagram can block others, and the platform has progressively added features for reporting problematic accounts and inappropriate content. Instagram users can delete or filter offensive comments, and warnings prompt users to reconsider posting harmful content.

Meta also prevents adults from starting private chats with teens if they are not already connected, and has strengthened checks to ensure users under 13 – the minimum age for holding a Facebook or Instagram account – aren't online. Schmidt mentioned in his opening remarks that Meta acknowledges some users still sign up using incorrect birthdays but enforces age limits strictly.

The company also posts warnings and resources on Instagram search results related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. Additionally, Meta launched the "Teen Accounts" in 2024, which serves as a safe space for teenagers online, with photo and video restrictions aligned with PG-13 movie standards, unless parental permission is granted.

However, critics argue that these changes are mere corporate posturing. A September 2025 report by former employee and whistleblower Arturo Béjar, along with four online safety advocacy nonprofits, accused Meta of not taking "real steps" to address youth safety. Instead, they claim the company opts for "splashy headlines about new tools for parents and Instagram Teen Accounts for underage users."

The report evaluated 47 of Meta's 53 safety features for teens on Instagram and found that 60% were either unavailable or didn't function as advertised. Meta dismissed the report's findings as "misleading" and "dangerously speculative." Experts argue that Meta's efforts to reduce the risk of children becoming addicted to social media's scrolling features have largely failed.

Ashley Shea, a Ph.D. candidate specializing in social media and online spaces at Cornell University, highlights the presence of "attention-capture deceptive designs" like infinite scrolling, casino-style refresh content, push notifications, and algorithmic recommendations. These features exploit the cognitive vulnerabilities of young people, particularly the need for reward.

While Meta has made strides in addressing problematic content, cyberbullies, and sexual predators, Shea has not observed the same level of effort to counter the addictive impact of attention-capture deceptive designs.