MEPs outraged over claims Meta targeted ads at depressed teens
18/04/2025 | EURACTIV
Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose has expressed how she was appalled by the accusations that Meta targeted depressed teenagers with online advertisements, labelling it a "troubling pattern" for the social media company. The news follows the testimony of former Facebook public policy employee Sarah Wynn-Williams to US lawmakers, in which she claimed that Meta informed advertisers when users aged 13-17 were experiencing feelings of depression to enable targeted advertising.
Schaldemose, who is leading a European Parliament report on protecting minors online, is sceptical about Meta's willingness to adhere to even basic safeguards, citing Wynn-Williams' testimony as further evidence that the company may be compromising its ethical standards for market access.
Meta refutes the claims, asserting Wynn-Williams' testimony was "divorced from reality" and "riddled with false claims."
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