Meta Vice President Argues that Social Media Does Not Harm Children
Meta Vice President Antigone Davis expressed her belief that social media has brought significant advantages.
Antigone Davis, the Global Head of Safety and Vice President at Meta, stated that social media does not pose harm to children.
During a recent inquiry on social media, Nationals MP Andrew Wallace raised concerns about Ms. Davis dismissing claims of digital platforms like Facebook and Instagram causing harm to teenagers.
These harms included issues related to mental health, online bullying, and body image perceptions.
Mr. Wallace questioned if Ms. Davis stood by her previous statements.
In response, the Meta vice president reiterated her belief that social media has not harmed children.
She emphasized, “I think that social media has provided tremendous benefits,” highlighting how teenagers have utilized social media to create communities, stay connected with friends, and pursue their interests.
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She acknowledged, “I think that issues of teen mental health are complex and multifactorial.
“It is our responsibility as a company to ensure that teens can benefit from social media in a safe and positive environment.”
Meta Claims It Is Providing Safe, Positive Experiences
Ms. Davis affirmed that Meta is dedicated to offering a safe and positive experience for children.
She cited an example of implementing measures to support teenagers struggling with eating disorders without exacerbating their problems.
Ms. Davis explained, “For instance, we prohibit diet ads targeting teens and the promotion of eating disorder content on our platform. We have developed classifiers to remove such content.”
“If a teen searches for such content, we provide resources to guide them towards help.” Ms. Davis added.
She stressed the efforts made to support individuals facing these challenges and prevent contributing to their issues.
Despite this, Mr. Wallace expressed dissatisfaction with Ms. Davis’s response, comparing dealing with Meta to dealing with big tobacco in the past.
Specifically, 54 percent of respondents believed they wasted time on social media, while 37 percent felt they overused social media apps.
Additionally, 27 percent experienced sleep deprivation, and 17 percent encountered online bullying.
Meta Remains Ambiguous About Age Verification
Mr. Wallace also pressed Ms. Davis on whether Meta would support raising the age of access to social media to 16.
Currently, popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok require users to be at least 13 years old to open an account, a policy challenging to enforce.
Ms. Davis did not clarify Meta’s stance on the issue, stating, “Determining the suitable age for such services can vary from child to child.”
“Our services aim to create experiences suitable for 13-year-olds and above. We advocate for parental approval for those under 16 years old,” she added.
She highlighted the importance of parental involvement in decision-making for their children.
Furthermore, Ms. Davis mentioned that Meta is pushing for an age verification solution at the operating system and app store levels to prevent underage individuals from bypassing age requirements through other social media apps without regulatory or parental awareness.
