"A new group of whistleblowers are coming forward to allege that Meta is restricting research into how its virtual reality offerings could negatively impact kids and teens, The Washington Post reports. Four current and former Meta staffers allege that after an earlier whistleblower, Frances Haugen, leaked internal research to Congress, the company called on its lawyers to screen and sometimes veto research on VR and youth safety, The Post reports."
"The new whistleblowers are being represented by legal nonprofit Whistleblower Aid, which also worked with Haugen. In a statement, Meta spokesperson Dani Lever said the allegation its legal team sidelined research is based on a few examples "stitched together to fit a predetermined and false narrative; in reality since the start of 2022, Meta has approved nearly 180 Reality Labs-related studies on social issues, including youth safety and well-being.""
A group of current and former Meta employees allege that company lawyers screened and sometimes vetoed research into how virtual reality products could harm children and teens. The claims link to earlier disclosures by Frances Haugen and name Whistleblower Aid as legal representation for the new whistleblowers. Meta countered that the claims rely on isolated examples and stated that since early 2022 it approved nearly 180 Reality Labs studies on social issues, including youth safety and well-being. Meta said its research produced product updates such as parent supervision tools and that its VR devices target users aged 13 and older. The allegations will be examined at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled "Hidden Harms," and three Republican committee members have requested additional information about protections on the Horizon Worlds platform.
Read at The Verge
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