Two former Meta researchers told the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Privacy and Technology that Meta Platforms knowingly ignored harms to children on its virtual-reality platform to protect profits.
Key Testimonies
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Cayce Savage (Former User Experience Researcher):
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Said Meta shut down internal research proving that children were exposed to sexually explicit content in VR.
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Claimed researchers were instructed not to investigate child safety harms so the company could claim ignorance.
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Reported instances of bullying, sexual assault, and requests for nude photos involving children in VR.
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Jason Sattizahn (Former Reality Labs Researcher):
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Testified he was not surprised Meta’s AI chatbots were permitted to engage children in romantic or sensual conversations, as revealed by a Reuters investigation.
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Congressional Concerns
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Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): Highlighted chatbot risks and renewed calls for the Kids Online Safety Act, which passed the Senate but stalled in the House.
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Lawmakers warned that Meta’s failures add urgency for federal safeguards on children’s digital experiences.
Meta’s Response
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Meta spokesperson Andy Stone rejected the accusations, claiming the whistleblowers “selectively leaked internal documents” to create a misleading narrative.
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Said there was never a blanket ban on child-related research, and that problematic chatbot behaviors had been removed.
Broader Context
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Meta already faces bipartisan scrutiny for youth safety across Instagram, Facebook, and AI tools.
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The testimony underscores growing pressure on Congress to regulate Big Tech’s handling of child protection in immersive and AI-driven platforms.