Meta has reportedly stopped conducting internal research into the mental health effects of its products after it found that people who stopped using Facebook suffered less from depression, anxiety and loneliness. This is according to unredacted court documents in a lawsuit filed by several US school districts against major social media companies, as reported by Reuters. The lawsuit alleges that these companies were aware of the health risks of these platforms but deliberately hid them from users.
Meta launched the research project called “Project Mercury” in 2020. The company’s researchers worked with the research company Nielsen to investigate what impact, if any, Facebook’s “deactivation” had on its users. The lawsuit alleges that when this research showed the mental health benefits of leaving Facebook, Meta abandoned the project, did not publish the results, believing the results were distorted by “existing media narratives” about the company.
That’s why ReutersThe documents also show that internal research staff made clear that the findings were valuable, writing: “Nielsen study shows causal effects in social comparison.” Another compared the findings to the tobacco industry “doing research, knowing that cigarettes are bad for you, and then keeping that information to themselves.” These allegations are reminiscent of the now well-known decisions Shell and Exxon buried internal investigation The link between fossil fuels and catastrophic climate change was already made in the 1980s.
In a statement received from ReutersA Meta spokesperson said: “The comprehensive inquiry will show that for more than a decade we have listened to parents, examined key issues and made concrete changes to keep young people safe.” Referring to the company’s teen Instagram accounts, the statement said: “We disagree with these statements, which are based on carefully selected quotes and incorrect opinions.”
Meta supports suppressing the documents behind these allegations, which are not yet public, saying what prosecutors want to reveal is too extensive. Those lawsuits, filed by hundreds of school districts, are being consolidated and litigated. Northern District of Californiawith a hearing on this specific matter scheduled for January 26.
It’s not even the first time the company has been accused of covering up a study that produced impractical results. In 2023, Meta also faced a massive lawsuit from 41 states and the District of Columbia over allegations that its platforms were harmful and addictive to young users. A judge in that case ruled that Meta’s lawyers had tried to block internal studies that showed the social media platforms harmed teenagers’ mental health.
There is growing concern about the impact of social media on mental health, especially among children. Today, Malaysia joins a growing list of countries, including Denmark and Australia, that ban underage users of social media.