Senators say Facebook used Big Tobacco playbook to exploit children

US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle can hardly agree on anything these days. The exception is when the subject is Facebook.

Republicans and Democrats grilled Antigone Davis, Facebook’s global security manager, on Thursday in a hearing before the Senate Trade Subcommittee on consumer protection. Antigone, who testified via video, was called in to answer questions about Instagram’s impact on adolescent mental health and Facebook’s efforts to create more products targeting children.

The hearing, titled “Protecting Kids Online: Facebook, Instagram, and Mental Health Harms,” ​​follows a series of Wall Street Journal reports earlier this month, based on internal studies by Facebook researchers. These stories revealed that Facebook is aware of the detrimental effects of Instagram on the mental health of young users. In particular, Facebook’s own studies showed that 13% of UK users and 6% of US users attributed their desire to kill themselves to Instagram.

Davis answered questions for nearly three hours and listened to several senators compare Facebook to the tobacco industry, which for years knowingly withheld what it knew about the dangers associated with the products it sold.

“Facebook is like Big Tobacco, offering a product that they know is harmful to the health of young people, offering it to them early on, all so that Facebook can make money,” said Sen. Ed Markey, D -Mass.

Here are the highlights from Thursday’s hearing:

Facebook cannot be held responsible

Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chairman of the subcommittee, kicked off the hearing by accusing Facebook of showing that it is unable to hold itself accountable. Blumenthal said the Journal articles and the Facebook whistleblower who provided the documents gave “an in-depth look at Facebook’s relentless campaign to recruit and exploit young users.”

“We now know that while Facebook publicly denies that Instagram is deeply harmful to teens, Facebook researchers and experts have been privately sounding the alarm bells for years,” Blumenthal said. “We now know that Facebook consistently puts profit before children’s online safety, we know it chooses the growth of its products over the well-being of our children, and we now know that it is indefensible to ‘act to protect them. “

Blumenthal also noted that Facebook documents proved the company lied in previous correspondence with members of the Senate.

He said that in August, he and Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., A prominent member of the subcommittee, wrote to CEO Mark Zuckerberg and asked him, “Has any Facebook research ever revealed that its platforms and products have a negative effect on children and adolescent mental health or well-being? “

The company responded, “We are not aware of a consensus among studies or experts on too long screen time.”

“This answer was just plain wrong,” Blumenthal said. “He knows the evidence of harm to teens is substantial and specific to Instagram.”

Facebook is non-binding on Instagram Kids

One of the main concerns for lawmakers on Thursday was Facebook’s Instagram Kids product.

The project, first reported by BuzzFeed in March and further exposed by the Journal, led Facebook to announce this week that it would halt development of an Instagram app for people under 13.

Throughout the hearing, Senators asked Davis if Facebook would commit to shutting down Instagram Kids for good.

“Do you promise not to launch a site that includes features like buttons and subscriber counts that allow kids to quantify popularity? Markey asked.

Davis has not made a commitment and said the company will take a closer look at what features make more sense for kids.

“Sen. Markey, these are the types of features that we are going to talk about with our experts trying to actually figure out what is most age appropriate and what is not, and we will discuss those features with them of course. . Davis said.

Facebook cherry selects the searches it shares

On Wednesday, Facebook released two slideshows with its research into Instagram’s impact on adolescent mental health. The company released these decks knowing the Journal was about to release all of the material that contributed to its reporting.

The Journal ended up publishing six games, with much more information than Facebook provided to the public. Facebook also included annotations that often discredited the work of its own researchers.

Davis told senators during the hearing that the research was not complete and / or poorly worded. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said his answers didn’t match and asked if the company plans to go public with all of its research.

“You tell us, ‘If only you knew all of the research,’ and at the same time you don’t publish the research. So which one is it? Cruz asked.

Davis said the company is in the process of determining what additional research it may publish.

“So you picked the ones you want us to see,” said Cruz.

Cruz then asked Davis about research showing the percentage of teens in the US and UK who escalate their suicidal desires to Instagram. Davis said the statistics were a misrepresentation of the company’s research.

Big Tobacco Playbook

In her opening remarks, Blumenthal highlighted the results of Facebook’s research, showing that many teens feel addicted to their Instagram use.

“In truth, Facebook took the Big Tobacco playbook,” he said. “He hid his own research on drug addiction and the toxic effects of his products, he tried to deceive the public and us in Congress about what he knows, and he armed the vulnerabilities of childhood against them. -same. “

Senator Markey echoed these remarks.

“Instagram is that first childhood cigarette meant to get teens hooked early on, harnessing the peer pressure of popularity and ultimately putting their health at risk,” he said.

“We don’t really do finsta”

As with seemingly all hearings involving Washington, DC and Silicon Valley, there has been a moment to emphasize how lawmakers often understand the nuances of the Internet.

Towards the end of the hearing, Blumenthal took the opportunity to ask Davis about “finsta,” a term that refers to Instagram accounts that are not associated with someone’s real identity. Finsta accounts are often used to spy on other users’ posts anonymously.

“Will you commit to ending the finsta?” Blumenthal asked.

Davis paused before responding, “Senator, again let me explain. We don’t actually do finsta.”

Blumenthal then asked, “Finsta is one of your products or services. We’re not talking about Google or Apple. Is that Facebook?”

“Finsta is slang for an account guy,” Davis said.

The conversation was reminiscent of an exchange at a congressional hearing in 2018. Orrin Hatch, a senator from the Republic of Utah who has since retired, asked Zuckerberg, “How do you maintain a business model in which the users not paying for your service?

It is well known that Facebook has become one of the most valued companies in the world thanks to its sophisticated advertising which is used by most of the biggest companies to target potential customers.

“Senator, we are running ads,” Zuckerberg said.