A former Meta employee testified that the company prioritized its financial interests over the safety of children, as a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of harming young users’ mental health continues in the U.S.
The trial, presided over by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, continued Wednesday at the district court in Oakland, California, after opening the previous day.
Following testimony from California Deputy Attorney General Megan O’Neill, representing the plaintiffs, and Meta’s defense attorney Paul Schmidt at the previous day’s hearing, former company employee Arturo Bejar took the stand again today.
Bejar, who previously worked as an engineering director at Meta, said the company rewarded employees based on metrics such as meaningful social interactions and daily active users, meaning it prioritized engagement and profit over safety.
Bejar claimed that Meta’s tool encouraging users to take breaks was “designed to fail,” saying it was not offered as a default setting and that its reminders could easily be ignored.
Bejar alleged that although Meta had the technology to identify millions of users under 13, the company knowingly overlooked the issue through a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in pursuit of long-term financial interests.
Saying that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was personally involved in many decision-making processes, Bejar said: “When Mark makes something a priority, mountains move within months.”
Children use smartphones against a white background. (Adobe Stock Photo)
Plaintiffs accuse Meta of concealing risks to children
O’Neill, representing the plaintiffs at the previous day’s hearing, had alleged that Meta’s business model was built on “keeping users engaged and collecting their data.”
O’Neill had claimed that Meta concealed facts about the risks its platforms posed to children and actively interfered with its own internal mental health research. Meta has denied allegations that it deliberately tried to make children addicted to Facebook and Instagram for profit.
The company’s attorney, Schmidt, had argued that Meta has a history of sharing information about the harms of social media, that enforcing content and age-limit policies is a complex process, and that employees are actively working to improve the platforms’ impact on user wellbeing.
In his initial testimony the previous day, former Meta employee Bejar had also claimed that the company was aware its platforms harmed young people, that safety and security were only addressed as an afterthought, and that the company understated the prevalence of harm among users in its public reports.
Protesters, including parents who say social media contributed to their children’s deaths, gathered outside the courthouse to demonstrate against Meta.
Meta signage stands outside the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S., April 30, 2022. (Adobe Stock Photo)
Zuckerberg among witnesses expected in coming weeks
The trial, expected to last for weeks, is set to hear testimony from numerous individuals, including Meta CEO Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri, as well as current and former employees and psychology experts.
The hearings will address claims based on state laws in California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, four of the 29 states suing Meta, as well as claims based on federal law from the remaining states, along with the company’s defense. “Design and addiction” allegations from the other 25 states will be heard separately at a later date.
The jury will serve only in an advisory capacity; the final decision on whether Meta is liable, and on any penalties or sanctions to be imposed, will rest with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
The outcome of the case is expected to influence lawsuits in other states, could change how Facebook and Instagram operate, and may force Meta to pay billions of dollars in penalties.
Meta has said that if it loses the case, it could face penalties of up to $1.4 trillion, an amount close to the company’s market value and described as unprecedented in legal history.
August 20, 2026 11:03 AM GMT+03:00
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