Read the transcript here
This week’s Senate hearing on Meta took a sharp turn toward teen safety, with new allegations that the company knowingly allowed advertisers to target young users based on their emotional state. Testimony from a former executive suggested Meta (formerly Facebook) used data to identify when teens felt “worthless” or “like a failure” — and then sold that information to advertisers looking to pitch beauty or weight-loss products at the most vulnerable moments.
If a teen girl deleted a selfie, advertisers might see that as a signal she wasn’t feeling good about herself — and use that moment to serve her an ad.
The testimony also pointed to internal conversations acknowledging that teens were a “valuable” demographic — and that some Meta executives didn’t let their own children use Instagram or Facebook, despite promoting those platforms to others.
Meta has strongly denied the claims, calling them false and “divorced from reality.” In response, the company highlighted recent changes to Instagram, including new “Teen Accounts” with stricter privacy settings, parental approval tools, and time limits.
Still, the hearing adds fuel to ongoing concerns about how tech giants profit from young users — especially when mental health is on the line.
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