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Zuckerberg Vetoed Ban on Plastic Surgery Filters Despite Concerns for Teens, Suit Claims

Mark Zuckerberg vetoed a proposal at Meta Platforms Inc. to ban filters that simulate the effects of plastic surgery, despite concerns that the technology could harm girls’ mental health, according to a lawsuit by more than 30 US states.

The suit, initially filed in federal court in Oakland last month, added to growing scrutiny of social media giants over how they serve their youngest users. Meta has said it’s committed to keeping teens safe online and has introduced more than 30 tools to support youths and their families.

“The document reminded Meta’s senior leaders that academic researchers had demonstrated that ‘Facebook and Instagram use is associated with body image issues and anxiety among users and particularly among women and teenage girls,”’ according the lawsuit, which cited the document.

But in early April, Zuckerberg canceled a meeting to discuss the issue and then vetoed the proposal to ban camera filters that simulated plastic surgery, according to the unredacted complaint. “Zuckerberg dismissed concerns about the filters (from the public, from experts, and from his own employees) as ‘paternalistic,”’ according to the lawsuit.

The unredacted version of the suit includes claims that Meta “coveted and pursued” young users on its social media platforms and failed to pursue strategies that might limit use by children under 13, due to concerns that it might harm business.

The company allegedly doesn’t take action on accounts of possibly underage users unless it can verify they actually belong to people under 13. The states claim that Meta has a “backlog of 2-2.5 million under 13 accounts awaiting action — and permits the collection of data from those accounts until Meta can evaluate the reported account.”

EK: Are these filters really necessary? We already have so many.