Meta Shut Down Internal Research on Social Media Harm, Lawsuit Alleges

Internal Research on Social Media Harm

• 💡 Meta reportedly shut down internal research, codenamed Project Mercury, which found that deactivating Facebook reduced feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social comparison.
• 📌 Despite a staffer insisting the conclusions were valid, Meta allegedly called off further work, citing the "existing media narrative" as a reason to dismiss the negative findings.
• ⚠️ The lawsuit filing claims Meta told Congress it could not quantify whether its products were harmful to teenage girls, contradicting internal research.

Lawsuit Allegations Against Social Media Platforms

• ⚖️ This allegation is part of a larger lawsuit filed by US school districts against Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snapchat.
• 🎯 The lawsuit, brought by law firm Mley Rice, accuses these platforms of causing harm to young users.
• 💬 Meta stated the study was stopped due to flawed methodology and affirmed its commitment to improving product safety.
• ⏳ Google, TikTok, and Snapchat had not immediately responded to requests for comment at the time of the report.