Meta made a ‘conscious decision' not to implement safeguards: Attorney

Core Viewpoint - Meta is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from two families whose sons committed suicide after being victims of sextortion schemes on Instagram, alleging that the company failed to implement adequate safety measures to protect teenagers [1]. Group 1: Allegations Against Meta - The families argue that Meta did not take necessary actions to protect victims of sextortion, despite having the capability and recommendations from trust and safety officials to implement protective measures [4][6]. - Meta allegedly prioritized profit over the safety of young users, making a conscious decision to ignore safety recommendations from its trust and safety personnel [4][6]. - Internal documents reportedly indicate that Meta was aware of the risks associated with sextortion and failed to warn parents or implement safety measures to protect vulnerable teenagers [5][6]. Group 2: Meta's Response and Actions - Meta has publicly condemned sextortion as a horrific crime and claims to support law enforcement in prosecuting offenders [2]. - In 2021, Meta announced restrictions on direct messages from strangers to young users, but this technology was reportedly ineffective 50% of the time [7][8]. - The company has not adequately informed parents about the risks their children face online, which could have led to more protective measures being taken by families [9][10].