HIGHLIGHTS

A former Meta executive has made serious allegations, claiming the company deliberately targeted adolescents with advertisements during their moments of emotional distress.

Sarah Wynn-Williams stated that Meta could detect when young users aged 13 to 17 were experiencing feelings of sadness and shared this data with advertisers.

The primary objective, she explained, was to present these teens with advertisements at times when they were more predisposed to make impulsive purchases.

In a recent testimony before a US Senate hearing, Sarah Wynn-Williams, who once held the position of Facebook’s Director of Global Public Policy, divulged alarming details regarding Meta’s advertising practices. According to her, the corporation has been aware of when teenagers, specifically those in the 13 to 17 age bracket, are emotionally vulnerable and leveraged that information to target them with ads.

Wynn-Williams alleged that Meta could ascertain moments when adolescents felt “worthless, helpless, or like a failure.” This data was subsequently relayed to advertisers, aiming to capitalize on those emotional states to boost product sales. She articulated this troubling strategy, noting that ads were aimed at young individuals in states of emotional distress because their feelings of inadequacy could make them more likely to respond positively to product pitches.

“Meta was equipped to recognize when teenagers experienced feelings of worthlessness or low self-esteem, and utilized this information to inform advertisers,” she revealed during her Senate testimony, as reported by TechCrunch. “Advertisers are well-aware that individuals who are battling low self-esteem are often more susceptible to purchases.”

Additionally, Wynn-Williams elaborated on specific scenarios to underline this manipulation. For instance, if a teenage girl removed a selfie from her social media feed, it could trigger a notification to advertisers that it would be an opportune moment to market beauty products, presuming the girl was struggling with self-confidence. She also pointed out that girls manifested interest in weight loss ads which coincided with their insecurities about physical appearance.

According to her statements, Meta holds teenagers in high esteem from an advertising standpoint, even if they may be experiencing emotional challenges. One account she shared was of a senior executive within the company who assertively expressed that Facebook recognized its status as possessing “the most valuable segment of the population,” referring to teens, and suggested that the company should actively promote this fact.

Moreover, the Senate hearing touched not only on the issue of adolescent targeting but also on allegations that Meta may have misled lawmakers regarding its operational conduct in relation to China. Additionally, various senators voiced apprehensions about Instagram and its potential adverse effects on young users’ mental health.

Responding to the unfolding situation, Meta issued a statement to TechCrunch firmly refuting Wynn-Williams’ assertions, describing her remarks as “disconnected from reality and filled with misleading claims.”

Concerns over the ethical implications of targeted advertising towards teenagers have intensified, sparked by Wynn-Williams’ testimony. Critics argue that targeting vulnerable demographics could exacerbate issues related to self-esteem and mental health among young individuals. The discussions arising from the Senate hearings may push for more stringent regulations on how technology companies interact with and market to adolescents, considering the long-term psychological impacts such advertising strategies could foster.

Despite the company’s denial, the implications of these allegations are extensive and highlight a growing scrutiny of social media giants and their advertising methodologies, particularly as they relate to impressionable young users.