Two former Meta employees testified under oath in Congress on Tuesday, claiming that the company’s virtual reality offerings have exposed minors to inappropriate content, including nudity, sexual advances, and even live sexual acts. Jason Sattizahn and Cayce Savage, who specialized in researching the safety of underage users of Meta’s VR products, informed members of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law that Meta ignored their findings, suppressed their further research efforts, and, at times, removed evidence related to incidents of sexual harassment involving minors.
These allegations contribute to ongoing scrutiny surrounding Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, regarding the treatment of young users across its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. Following revelations from whistleblowers and various media reports, lawmakers, class action attorneys, and state attorneys general have been advocating for reforms at Meta, alongside reparations for individuals claiming harm from the platform.
### Allegations of Negligence in User Safety
Sattizahn and Savage shared that their extensive tenures at Meta involved various roles before they concentrated on the implications of virtual reality for minors. Despite Meta’s significant financial investments—amounting to billions of dollars—in creating virtual reality environments and headsets, the former employees asserted that the company has not prioritized user safety adequately. “Meta is aware that children are being harmed in VR,” Savage stated during the hearing. She noted a disturbing trend where children encounter bullying, sexual solicitation, and exposure to adult content, including gambling and violence, while engaging in experiences meant for adults, such as strip clubs and pornography viewing with strangers.
Savage, who departed from Meta in 2023, expressed frustration over her inability to quantify the prevalence of these issues among minors. “I wish I could provide statistics on the number of children in VR facing these dangers, but Meta restricted my ability to conduct this research,” she revealed. Sattizahn added that he observed instances where adults use Meta’s VR products during private activities that are audible to minors. “The audio isn’t limited to solicitation; there are occasions where explicit sexual sounds can be overheard, making the environment hostile for younger users,” he explained. He also mentioned that Meta dismissed him after he raised concerns about research limitations.
### Meta’s Response and Denials
In response to the testimonies, Meta refuted several claims, contending that the former employees selectively represented information to construct a misleading narrative. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone asserted that the accusations regarding internal censorship were unfounded, clarifying that there has never been a broad prohibition on researching young users. Stone stated that since 2022, Meta has conducted approximately three dozen studies on social issues concerning young people, as well as numerous other youth-related research initiatives.
Zuckerberg has positioned virtual reality as a cornerstone of Meta’s future, even renaming the parent company from Facebook to Meta in 2021 to reflect its commitment to the metaverse. The company has invested heavily in developing VR hardware and software since acquiring Oculus in 2014 for $2 billion. However, concerns regarding the safety of children in virtual reality environments have persisted, with experts documenting instances of exposure to sexual content, racism, and other forms of abuse affecting minors in the metaverse.
### Regulatory Challenges and Concerns
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), enacted in 1998, imposes strict regulations on internet companies concerning the collection of data from children under 13. Nonetheless, Sattizahn and Savage argued that many children below this age still access Meta’s applications, and the company does not exert enough effort to prevent this, prioritizing user engagement metrics over child safety. “Children are crucial for profits,” Sattizahn remarked post-hearing. “If Meta enhances safety measures to restrict children, it could negatively impact user engagement and consequently, revenue.” He advised his family against using Meta’s platforms, a stance he maintained even during his employment.
Reports of these serious allegations first emerged in The Washington Post, which noted that a group of current and former Meta employees had approached Congress this year to highlight corporate misconduct and share internal documents. Sattizahn and Savage join a growing list of whistleblowers from Meta and Facebook who have testified before Congress, including Frances Haugen, who brought attention to the mental health implications of social media on teenagers in 2021, and Sarah Wynn-Williams, who recently published a book examining Facebook’s internal culture and its broader societal effects.
### Calls for Accountability from Lawmakers
During the hearing, Sattizahn remarked that Meta’s response to earlier controversies has been more about damage control than genuine reform. “Meta’s priority has been to implement new policies aimed at controlling the narrative and concealing data,” he stated. “We researchers were instructed on how to draft reports to minimize potential risks to Meta. Internal coordination was severely restricted, making it challenging to share critical data for user safety.” He informed the senators that when his team discovered underage users in Germany facing sexual exploitation, Meta insisted they delete any evidence of these dangers.
Stone countered that U.S. and European privacy laws dictate how the company manages data concerning younger users, emphasizing that any data collected from minors without proper parental consent must be purged. Lawmakers from both parties expressed their growing impatience with Meta and Zuckerberg. Senator Marsha Blackburn, chairing the subcommittee, remarked that the witnesses had been employed to enhance safety for children, only to discover a company that was neglectful of the risks associated with its products. Senator Amy Klobuchar added that Meta has actively obstructed, manipulated, and concealed research that revealed the risks faced by underage users in its virtual reality environments.
Several senators expressed a desire for Congress to enact legislation that would hold tech companies accountable. Last year, the Senate passed two bills aimed at safeguarding children online, including one that would impose a “duty of care” on internet firms, but these proposals stalled in the House due to concerns over free speech implications, as highlighted by House Speaker Mike Johnson. Senator Josh Hawley, who is conducting an independent investigation into the use of Meta’s AI chatbots by teenagers, emphasized the need for clearer pathways for victims to pursue legal action against tech companies. “We must facilitate access to the courts for victims seeking justice,” he asserted.
Savage concluded her testimony by highlighting that many parents remain unaware of the potential dangers associated with virtual reality. “A significant number of parents I encountered in my research did not realize their children were interacting with strangers online,” she noted.
