Executives at Meta Platforms have pressed ahead with plans to implement encryption across messaging services linked to their social media platforms, despite significant internal concerns regarding the potential impact on child safety. Court filings from a lawsuit initiated by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez reveal that senior safety and policy officials warned that such a move could severely diminish the company’s capability to detect and report instances of child exploitation to authorities.
The internal documents, released on March 15, 2024, include emails, messages, and briefing notes collected during discovery in the ongoing case against Meta. These communications provide a candid view of the apprehensions expressed by Meta officials prior to the announcement of default end-to-end encryption for services including Facebook Messenger and Instagram. In one message dated March 2019, Monika Bickert, a senior executive, described the impending change as “so irresponsible,” indicating a clear conflict between business objectives and child safety considerations.
The lawsuit claims that Meta has allowed online predators to exploit its platforms, leading to instances of abuse and human trafficking. This case is notable as it marks the first jury trial against the company concerning these allegations. The legal challenges facing Meta have intensified, with over 40 state attorneys general in the United States also filing lawsuits regarding the impact of its products on youth mental health.
As reported, the implementation of end-to-end encryption ensures that messages are encoded in a manner accessible only to the intended recipient. While this feature is common in various messaging applications, including iMessage and WhatsApp, child safety advocates, such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, have voiced concerns that encryption could increase risks on platforms where children can easily connect with strangers.
Internal communications from Meta reveal that some safety officials were alarmed by the encryption initiative. In a 2019 email, safety officer Antigone Davis highlighted the dangers of making Messenger encrypted, stating that it would facilitate easier connections between predators and children. Davis noted that unlike WhatsApp, which does not promote social networking, Messenger could exacerbate these risks due to its integration with social features.
According to a February 2019 briefing document, if Messenger had been encrypted, reports submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning child exploitation imagery could have plummeted from 18.4 million to 6.4 million, a staggering decrease of 65%. Further updates indicated that the company would be unable to provide law enforcement with proactive data on numerous child exploitation and sextortion cases—specifically, 600 child exploitation cases, 1,454 sextortion cases, 152 terrorist cases, and 9 threatened school shootings.
In response to inquiries from Reuters, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone stated that the concerns raised by Bickert and Davis were instrumental in prompting the development of enhanced safety features prior to the rollout of encrypted messaging on Facebook and Instagram in 2023. Stone emphasized that these new measures aim to detect and prevent abuse while functioning within an encrypted environment.
Under the updated protocols, messages are encrypted by default; however, users retain the ability to report concerning interactions to Meta. The company can then review these communications and, when appropriate, refer cases to law enforcement. Furthermore, Meta has instituted protections for underage users, including safeguards designed to prevent adults from initiating contact with minors they do not know.
The tension between privacy and child safety continues to be a critical issue for Meta as it faces increasing scrutiny not only in the United States but also globally. The outcome of the New Mexico case may set significant precedents for how tech companies balance user privacy with the imperative to protect vulnerable populations online.
