{
  "id": 2002760,
  "title": "Ex-Meta executive says Zuckerberg put growth before child safety",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/ex-meta-executive-says-zuckerberg-put-growth-before-child-safety-2002760",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T19:47:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20260820/ex-meta-executive-says-zuckerberg-put-growth-before-child-safety"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Oakland, California - A former Meta executive testified that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg prioritized growth over child safety, placing the company's bottom line ahead of the well-being of young users. Arturo Bejar, a former Meta engineering director, made the allegation during his second day of testimony in a major lawsuit against Meta filed by several states. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey accuse Meta of designing its platforms to lure in young users, potentially causing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and even suicide. The states also claim Meta misled consumers about the safety of its apps. If found guilty, Meta could be reshaped to address these concerns. The six-week trial, which began on Tuesday, will see Zuckerberg testifying as well.",
  "summary": "OAKLAND, Calif. — A former engineering director at Meta Platforms testified on Wednesday that CEO Mark Zuckerberg fostered a culture that treated child safety as secondary to growth and engagement on Facebook and Instagram. Arturo Bejar, a vocal Meta critic, made the allegation during his second day of testimony in a landmark trial over claims brought by a coalition of states that could reshape…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Zuckerberg treated child safety as 'secondary': ex-worker",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/zuckerberg-treated-child-safety-as-secondary-ex-worker",
        "published": "2026-08-19T19:35:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Ex-Meta executive says Zuckerberg put growth before child safety",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/ex-meta-executive-says-zuckerberg-put-growth-before-child-safety",
        "published": "2026-08-19T19:37:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "Zuckerberg put growth before child safety, ex-Meta exec alleges",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/zuckerberg-put-growth-before-child-safety-ex-meta-exec-alleges",
        "published": "2026-08-19T20:12:35.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}