Meta Faces Accusations of Targeting Vulnerable Teens, Expectant Mothers with Ads

During a recent Senate hearing, Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former Director of Global Public Policy at Meta, testified that the company deliberately targeted teenagers aged 13 to 17 with advertisements when they were emotionally vulnerable, such as feeling worthless or helpless. She stated that Meta recognized these teens as a 'very valuable' demographic for advertisers and shared their emotional states to optimize ad targeting. Examples included showing beauty ads to teen girls who had deleted selfies, anticipating they might be feeling insecure. While Wynn-Williams' testimony focused heavily on these practices, she also accused Meta of undermining U.S. national security by providing the Chinese government with insights into emerging technologies. Meta has denied these allegations, calling them 'divorced from reality and riddled with false claims.' This testimony adds to ongoing scrutiny of Meta's practices regarding user privacy and the ethical implications of its advertising strategies.