3 Disturbing Facts About Facebook (Meta) You Probably Didn’t Know

Since its release in 2006, Facebook has slowly become a part of our daily lives. Today, there are approximately 243.58 million Facebook users in America. Among them, 24.4% of users are between the ages of 25 and 34. Similarly, 12.1% of older adults (>65 years) use this app. 

In 2021, Facebook rebranded and renamed itself Meta. The platform now aims to transform how we use social media by integrating and bringing the virtual world to life. 

With Meta, you get to connect with people all around the world, share your opinions, check news updates, and more. It’s also great for businesses to build their brand image, market their products, and connect with their community. 

But hidden behind these benefits are shocking facts that most people are unaware of. For instance, this platform can become addictive and lead you to develop mental health problems. Yes, everyone’s favorite social media app is doing more harm than good. 

In this blog, we will discuss three such facts that make Meta a scary platform.

They Will Sell Your Data

Did you know that 97.8% of Meta’s revenue comes from advertisements? However, Facebook claims that it doesn’t sell information to third-party sources. Instead, they only ‘use’ the information to help companies show personalized ads. That inadvertently means that everyone with a business license has access to your private information.In 2018, the New York Times reported that this platform was caught compromising its data privacy practices. Facebook shared access to user data with tech firms like Netflix, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, etc. Some of these companies even mentioned that they weren’t aware of this ‘special access.’

Four years before this incident, MasterCard accessed Facebook user data in the Asia-Pacific region. They used this to drive online sales by merging their data. Similarly, a man once bought one million Facebook users’ personal information for USD 5 million.

Recently, Meta was fined USD 1.3 billion for violating the European Union Data Privacy Rules. The company was transferring and collecting data from European users and sharing it with their American headquarters. All these prove that Facebook has never been a safe place to put out your information. 

You Can Develop Mental Health Problems

Meta is a competent app. It allows you to stay in touch with your family and friends while accessing personalized news updates. These capabilities keep this social media platform engaging and informative. 

However, it can become addictive as you keep visiting the platform. An average user spends almost 33 minutes a day on Facebook. That’s because the features of Meta give your brain a sense of social reward and acceptance through continuous positive feedback. 

You also expect to get many likes, positive comments, and shares on your posts. But these do more harm than good. For instance, young users are slowly developing mental health issues because of such unrealistic expectations. 

Meta is truly hurting their self-esteem and leading them towards depression. Some also experience cyberbullying and unfavorable social comparisons. Long-term Facebook use can sometimes lead people to develop anxiety, suicidal ideation, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, etc. 

According to a leaked document (The Facebook Files), the parent company knew about the mental health crisis but didn’t warn their users. That’s why many have filed a Facebook lawsuit against the creators for placing users’ mental health at risk. These claims allege that the company intentionally engineered its algorithm to generate addictive content.

TorHoerman Law states that plaintiffs will be eligible for compensation based on the extent of their mental health issues. Moreover, they’ll receive payouts for emotional damage, therapy costs, and medical treatment costs.

Facebook Has Predators

Did you know that Meta rejected their own safety team’s recommendations to build a barrier between adults and children on this platform? This team wanted to make it harder for adults to communicate with teenagers under the age of 18. Rejecting this idea allowed predators to exchange information and share tips on how to victimize children.

Reports suggest that there was a group on Facebook where people were looking for a “9-year-old girlfriend.” This page used cartoon aesthetics to lure little girls into solicitation by sharing explicit pictures. Moreover, 100,000 children get sexually harassed on this platform daily.

Approximately 40% of kids (under 13) engage with social media platforms, rendering them vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Last year, Wion News stated that Facebook has already become a breeding ground for child predators. 

There are no features to prevent children from accessing explicit content. These improper privacy standards and safety measures on such apps make it easy for child predators to contact minors. That’s why parents need to monitor their child’s social media usage, especially Facebook.

Unfortunately, Meta has always been aware of the millions of predators that lurk behind fake accounts for grooming teens. In December 2023, Meta released an article stating that they’re aware of the child exploitation problems. They are currently developing technology to tackle this misuse. 

In conclusion, Facebook users must be careful about how they use this platform. Too much usage can lead you to develop mental health problems. These include self-doubt, eating disorders, depression, etc. 

Sometimes, certain features used by the company to build a personalized experience for you can be super creepy. For instance, Meta uses your personal information to show customized ads. Similarly, the presence of predators makes it an unsafe place for most teenagers. 

All these affect your privacy and safety to a great extent. Thankfully, the CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is working towards creating a more encrypted and interoperable platform for everyone.