Former Facebook policy director turned whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams dropped a bombshell in front of U.S. lawmakers this week, revealing that Meta allegedly targeted teens with ads based on their emotional state—down to moments when they felt "worthless," "helpless," or like "a failure." Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wynn-Williams described how Meta (formerly Facebook) used internal data to identify vulnerable adolescents and suggest to advertisers the perfect time to pitch beauty or weight loss products, like right after a teen deleted a selfie. And perhaps most damning of all? She claimed that even Meta’s own executives knew how toxic the platform was—keeping their own teens off Facebook and Instagram while continuing to profit from others'. Meta, for its part, denies the accusations, calling her statements “divorced from reality.” But this whistleblower story, backed by Wynn-Williams' new tell-all book Careless People, is igniting fresh scrutiny into how Big Tech monetizes mental health—especially among kids.

Key Points:

• Sarah Wynn-Williams, former Facebook Global Public Policy director, claims Meta targeted 13-17-year-olds with ads based on emotional data.
• Teens were tracked for feelings like worthlessness or depression, and advertisers were alerted to moments when those emotions peaked.
• Example: If a teen girl deleted a selfie, the system could push beauty product ads, assuming she was feeling insecure.
• Quote: “Advertisers understand that when people don’t feel good about themselves, it’s often a good time to pitch a product — people are more likely to buy something,” said Wynn-Williams.
• She says Meta knew this teen demographic was vulnerable—yet extremely profitable—and marketed it as a “valuable segment” internally.
• Internal chats shared in the hearing suggest similar emotional-targeting practices were explored for young mothers.
• Wynn-Williams also recalled that many high-level Meta executives did not allow their own children to use Facebook or Instagram. “They know the harm this product does,” she said.
• She details all of this in her new book Careless People, which paints a picture of Meta prioritizing profit over user safety.
• Meta has issued a strong denial, saying the claims are completely false and not rooted in reality.

Bonus Context:

• This isn't Meta's first time under fire for how it handles teen mental health. In 2021, internal research leaked by another whistleblower (Frances Haugen) showed Instagram worsened body image issues for one in three teen girls.
• Current laws offer limited protections for teens online, though there’s growing support for federal regulations, including the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
• Experts suggest AI-powered ad targeting raises ethical concerns, especially when used on minors, and could prompt more stringent data privacy laws in the near future.

Stay tuned—this could be the start of another major reckoning for Big Tech.
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