Meta Platforms—Internal Facebook research showed Instagram worsened body image for 1 in 3 teen girls; company concealed findings
In September 2021, Wall Street Journal published leaked internal Facebook research showing the company knew Instagram caused harm to teenagers, especially teen girls. Internal studies found 32% of teen girls said Instagram made body image issues worse, 13.5% said it worsened suicidal thoughts, and 17% said it worsened eating disorders. Whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former product manager, disclosed tens of thousands of internal documents to the SEC and testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on October 5, 2021, alleging Facebook chose profits over user safety.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Safety | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Consumer Protection | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Corporate Transparency | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Mental Health | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.645 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.86)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (4 signals)
Frances Haugen testified before Senate that Facebook's 'profit optimizing machine is generating self-harm and self-hate'
On October 5, 2021, Frances Haugen testified before the Senate Commerce Committee, stating that internal documents proved Facebook prioritized profit over user safety, particularly for teenagers.
Haugen filed 8 SEC complaints against Facebook backed by tens of thousands of internal documents
Frances Haugen's attorneys filed at least 8 complaints with the SEC covering topics including political misinformation, hate speech, teenage mental health, human trafficking, ethnic violence, preferential treatment of users, and investor communications. The complaints were backed by tens of thousands of internal Facebook documents.
Frances Haugen revealed identity on 60 Minutes, alleging Facebook chose profit over teen safety
On October 3, 2021, Frances Haugen appeared on CBS 60 Minutes to publicly disclose her identity as the Facebook whistleblower, stating that Facebook realized 'if they change the algorithm to be safer, people will spend less time on the site, they'll click on less ads, they'll make less money.'
Wall Street Journal published leaked Facebook internal research on Instagram's harm to teen girls
WSJ's 'Facebook Files' series revealed internal Facebook research showing Instagram worsened body image issues for 1 in 3 teen girls, with 13.5% saying it worsened suicidal thoughts.