Mark Zuckerberg—Facebook's internal research showed Instagram harms teen mental health; whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed company prioritized profits over safety
Facebook's internal research found that 13.5% of teen girls said Instagram worsened suicidal thoughts and 17% said it worsened eating disorders. 32% of teen girls said Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies. Despite knowing these harms, Facebook continued prioritizing engagement and growth. In October 2021, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen disclosed tens of thousands of internal documents to the SEC and Wall Street Journal showing the company was aware of the toxic risks to teenage girls' mental health. During Senate testimony, Haugen stated 'Facebook repeatedly encountered conflicts between its own profits and our safety. Facebook consistently resolved those conflicts in favor of its own profits.' Zuckerberg called her claims a 'false picture' and was criticized for posting about sailing while the 60 Minutes interview aired. He refused to testify before Congress. Haugen noted that Zuckerberg's controlling stake means he is 'accountable only to himself.'
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Safety | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Consumer Protection | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Corporate Transparency | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Mental Health | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.674 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.77)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (3 signals)
Frances Haugen testified Facebook repeatedly chose profits over safety, harming children
On October 5, 2021, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before the Senate Commerce Committee that Facebook repeatedly encountered conflicts between profits and safety, consistently resolving them in favor of profits. She presented internal research showing Instagram harms teen girls' mental health. Haugen stated 'Facebook has repeatedly misled the public about what its own research reveals about the safety of children' and noted that Zuckerberg's controlling stake means he is 'accountable only to himself.'
Frances Haugen filed eight SEC complaints alleging Facebook misled investors about safety
Frances Haugen's attorneys filed at least eight complaints with the SEC alleging Facebook made material misrepresentations to investors. The complaints covered how Facebook deals with political misinformation, hate speech, teenage mental health, human trafficking, ethnic violence promotion, and preferential treatment of users. The complaints alleged that Zuckerberg's public statements, including his 2020 Congressional testimony, were inconsistent with internal Facebook documents.
Facebook's internal research showed 13.5% of teen girls said Instagram worsened suicidal thoughts
Facebook's internal research disclosed by Frances Haugen found that 13.5% of teen girls said Instagram worsened suicidal thoughts and 17% said it worsened eating disorders. Internal presentation slides from March 2020 showed 32% of teen girls said when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse. The company was aware of these harms but continued prioritizing engagement.