Meta Accused of Recruiting Influencers to Defend Teen Safety Policies

Meta is facing new criticism over claims that it relied on parenting influencers and medical professionals to shape public opinion around child safety issues while under growing legal and political scrutiny over the impact of its platforms on minors.

According to a report released by the Tech Transparency Project, Meta allegedly organized campaigns involving online creators — including so-called “momfluencers” — to promote Instagram’s “Teen Accounts” feature as concerns over youth safety and platform accountability intensified.

The report argues that the initiative was part of a broader effort to influence the public debate surrounding regulation of social media platforms and their responsibilities toward younger users.

Instagram’s Teen Accounts were introduced with features designed for users under 17, including restrictions on unwanted contact, limits on certain types of sensitive content and parental supervision tools such as time management settings.

The Tech Transparency Project claims Meta invited hundreds of influencers to curated promotional events tied to the product launch. According to the report, many participants later posted supportive content repeating key messages about the safety features to large online audiences, often using partnership disclosures or sponsored-content hashtags.

Among those highlighted was Sadie Robertson Huff, known from the television series Duck Dynasty. In a promotional video shared with followers, Robertson Huff described the Teen Accounts feature positively while disclosing a partnership with Instagram.

Other influencers named in the report included Alexia Delarosa, Noelle Downing and reality television personality Leroy Garrett, all of whom reportedly posted favorable comments about the platform after attending Meta-sponsored events.

The report also alleges that several doctors, psychologists and therapists promoted the Teen Accounts initiative online while disclosing financial relationships with Meta. Some medical professionals additionally appeared as speakers at Meta events, according to the investigation.

Among those mentioned were adolescent medicine specialist Dr. Hina Talib and psychologist Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart. Talib reportedly told investigators that while she participated in speaking engagements and social media collaborations with Meta, she insisted on using her own language rather than company-provided messaging.

Meta defended the partnerships, saying the company works with parents, creators and experts to spread awareness about tools intended to help families manage teenagers’ online experiences.

A spokesperson for Meta said the company “proudly” collaborates with creators because influencers are often able to reach parents and local communities more effectively than traditional outreach programs. The company also noted that other major platforms, including TikTok, Roblox and Snapchat, similarly work with influencers and public figures.

Meta further argued that critics attacking awareness campaigns were more interested in generating headlines than helping parents navigate online safety challenges.

The controversy comes as Meta continues to face lawsuits in the United States related to child safety and allegations that its platforms failed to adequately protect younger users from harmful content and exploitation. One legal case brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez accused the company of failing to sufficiently safeguard minors from sexual exploitation risks on its platforms.

The debate also ties into a broader political fight over age verification laws for social media services.

Meta has strongly backed proposals that would place responsibility for age verification and parental approval systems on app stores operated by companies like Apple and Google rather than on individual apps themselves.

The Tech Transparency Project argues that Meta’s influencer outreach was partly designed to build public support for those legislative efforts. Critics of the proposed approach say app-store verification alone does not address deeper concerns surrounding social media design, including addictive engagement features such as endless scrolling and algorithm-driven content exposure.

Experts in digital safety have increasingly argued that protecting children online requires more than age gates and parental controls. Concerns continue to focus on recommendation systems, engagement incentives and the broader business models of social media companies that depend heavily on user attention — especially from younger audiences who somehow manage to spend six hours online while still insisting they were “barely on the phone.”

The dispute highlights a growing challenge for large technology companies: convincing regulators and parents that new safety tools represent genuine reform rather than sophisticated public relations campaigns wrapped in softer branding and influencer-friendly messaging.

And in today’s internet economy, where trust is already in short supply, even a child safety announcement can quickly turn into a political battleground over influence, accountability and who exactly gets to define what “safe online” actually means.

Written by Christiane Hofreiter