Janice R. Andrews
Unexpectedly, Meta has announced that it will be collaborating with the Center for Open Science (COS) to launch a pilot program that will center around “topics related to well-being.” Using a privacy-preserving dataset that Meta generously donated for a voluntary study, the joint endeavor seeks to investigate the effects of social media on individuals.
The COS places a strong emphasis on its dedication to “privacy-preserving” research procedures, including techniques like early peer review and pre-registration to guarantee objective and worthwhile results. This strategy seeks to promote openness by promising to publish all results, whether or not they corroborate accepted hypotheses.
The study’s details are yet unknown, but it is scheduled to be released at the same time as Meta’s hearing before the US Senate Judiciary Committee, which will address issues related to child safety and the platform’s effects on mental health. Unlike X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Discord CEO Jason Citron, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who were subpoenaed, the CEOs of TikTok and Meta willingly participated in the testimony.
41 states have sued Meta for allegedly endangering the mental health of its younger users, posing legal hurdles for the corporation. Concerning allegations that Meta intentionally sought youngsters under the age of 13 and deceived the public about safety precautions are made in previously unsealed litigation documents. A different lawsuit claims that Meta’s algorithms enabled the sexual harassment of over 100,000 children every day.
The corporation has a controversial past, but the collaboration with COS suggests that things may be changing in terms of addressing well-being issues. The study is now in the early planning stages and is anticipated to take two years. The focus is on Meta and other social media behemoths’ efforts to protect users—especially kids—from the harmful consequences of online platforms as they testify before Congress this week.
