Documents submitted in a lawsuit in the United States They maintain that Meta halted an internal investigation after finding 'causal' evidence of harm. for mental health issues related to their social networks. The focus is on Facebook and, according to some versions of the plan, also on Instagram.
According to those files, the company would have shut down the so-called 'Project Mercury' in 2020, even though preliminary results pointed to less depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social comparison among those who stopped using the platform for a week. Meta, for its part, counters that the study was methodologically flawed.
What do the documents in the lawsuit contribute?
The documents, filed by several school districts suing different platforms, indicate that Meta identified a causal relationship between the use of its products and negative effects in psychological well-being, and yet decided not to publish the findings.
In internal tests, participants who deactivated Facebook for seven days reported reductions in indicators of malaise such as social comparison and feelings of depression and anxiety. Within the company, there were employees who defended the validity of the study and warned about the risks of remaining silent.
Project Mercury: design and methodological debate
The study, conducted in 2020 with the polling firm Nielsen, assessed the impact of 'turning off' Facebook (and in some designs, Instagram as well) for a short period. According to the documentation, The company later argued that the media environment may have biased the responses., and paused the investigation.
However, internal messages cited in the lawsuit indicate that some staff members considered the results solid and likened the silence to precedents of industries that concealed known risksThis methodological tension is now one of the central points of the litigation.
Meta's position
Spokesman Andy Stone stated that the study was interrupted by method flaws and argued that the company has been introducing safeguards for teenagers and families for years. According to Meta, its security tools They are "widely effective" and are continuously reviewed.
Regarding the more serious allegations included in the lawsuit—including the alleged tolerance of criminal behavior and the deliberate ineffectiveness of youth controls—the company maintains that The writing misrepresents his work and selects quotes, and that their policy is to quickly remove accounts involved in abuse when they are flagged.
The demand from school districts and other platforms
The case is being led by a law firm acting on behalf of school districts across the country and also mentions Google, TikTok, and Snapchat, although The most detailed accusation falls on MetaIt is alleged that the companies concealed risks from users, families, and teachers that they recognized internally.
- It is claimed that Meta designed youth functions so that they were little used or ineffectiveblocking tests of changes that could slow growth.
- It is alleged that, in the past, the threshold for expelling users involved in trafficking for sexual purposes It was excessively high, an extreme that the company rejects.
- The cited documents indicate that optimizing the platform to increase the adolescent participation could expose you to more harmful content.
- Meta is accused of having blocked initiatives against child predators due to growth concerns.
- It is also reported that some platforms may have tried influencing organizations focused on childhood through sponsorships.
The internal materials cited by the plaintiffs are not public, and Meta has requested that their dissemination be limited due to their scope. The hearing is scheduled. for January 26 in the Northern District Court of California, where the next procedural steps will be decided.
Potential impact in Europe and Spain
If patterns are corroborated that point to risks to minors and mental health, the case could resonate in the European Union in light of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires large platforms to assess and mitigate systemic risks, strengthen algorithmic transparency and facilitate access to data for research.
In Spain, the debate on Age of access, verification, and safer platform design for teenagers The issue is already being discussed among families, schools, and authorities. A significant ruling or agreement in the US could accelerate reviews and best practices in our regulatory environment.
What's next?
The court will have to rule on Meta's request to limit the publication of documents and, depending on what happens at the hearing, More details could emerge on the design of Project Mercury and internal decision-making.
For users and public officials, the focus will be on whether internal evidence supports a causal relationship and on what verifiable commitments The platforms will take action to reduce harm to minors without sacrificing safety or privacy.
Beyond the litigation, what's at stake is whether a major tech company prioritized growth over internal warnings about well-being and safety, and how these decisions should be monitored in jurisdictions such as the EU, where compliance with DSA and the protection of minors set the pace.
