Hassan Khan
Instagram ongoing struggle to protect young users is back in the spotlight after a new whistleblower backed report raised serious questions about the platform’s safety tools. The findings, published by former Meta insider Arturo Bejar alongside four nonprofit organizations, suggest that many of Instagram’s promised safeguards for teens are either broken, ineffective, or misleading.
Whistleblower and Experts Challenge Meta’s Promises
The report, released with support from Cybersecurity for Democracy at NYU and Northeastern University, as well as Fairplay, ParentsSOS, and the Molly Rose Foundation, paints a grim picture. Out of 53 safety features Meta has promoted for teenagers, 47 were tested, and most were found to either no longer function or to provide little real protection. Only eight tools were said to work as intended, while many others placed the burden back on young users to protect themselves.
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Bejar and his partners argue that Meta has chosen flashy announcements over meaningful solutions, pointing to initiatives like “Teen Accounts” that sound promising but fall short in practice.
Meta Pushes Back
Meta, in response, has dismissed the report as “Misleading” and “Dangerously Speculative,” insisting its Teen Accounts and parental tools are industry leading. The company claims that young users under its protections already see less harmful content, face fewer unwanted contacts, and spend less late night time on the app. However, the report argues these protections are easy to bypass, and dangerous content from sexualized posts to graphic violence continues to reach teen accounts.
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An Overview
The findings add fuel to mounting criticism from regulators, academics, and parents who say Instagram’s design prioritizes engagement over safety. Lawsuits, including one from New Mexico’s attorney general, accuse Meta of neglecting its duty to shield children from predators and harmful content.
The report concludes that until Meta takes “Real Steps” to redesign its platform, Instagram will remain unsafe for too many teens. For parents and policymakers, the debate is no longer about whether social media is harmful it’s about whether tech giants are willing to put children’s safety before their bottom line.
