2019 Report Shows Instagram Algorithm Exposed 2 Million Teens to Predators; Meta CEO Acknowledges TikTok Competition Amid FTC Antitrust Trial

Meta Platforms Inc. is currently facing an antitrust lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that challenges the future of its social media dominance. The trial has revealed internal documents and reports highlighting troubling practices within Meta's platforms. A 2019 internal report showed that Instagram's automated algorithms recommended minors to adult predators, or "groomers," with 27% of follow recommendations directed to flagged accounts, affecting approximately 2 million teen users. Additionally, Instagram allegedly facilitated connections between child groomers and minors, making it easier for predators to find victims. Former employees have accused Meta of exploiting the vulnerabilities of adolescent users to target them with personalized advertisements, including serving beauty ads triggered by teen girls deleting selfies. The FTC also highlighted Instagram's struggles to control harmful content after Meta's acquisition of WhatsApp, though Meta's former integrity chief denied that resource constraints were to blame. Amid these challenges, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that TikTok is outperforming Meta in key areas, potentially influencing the outcome of the antitrust case. The lawsuit underscores growing scrutiny of Meta's business practices and the impact of its algorithms on vulnerable user groups.