Meta Pays Influencers to Promote Teen Accounts Amidst Regulatory Scrutiny

Meta's Influencer Strategy

Meta has engaged parenting, lifestyle, and mental health influencers to advocate for its existing safety controls for teen accounts. This initiative includes promoting accounts for users aged 13-17, which have more restrictions than standard accounts. The company has organized events, such as a camping-themed gathering in Sydney, Australia, to recruit and brief these influencers.

Response to Regulatory Pressure

This influencer campaign intensified in 2024, coinciding with increased government discussions about social media regulations for minors. For example, Meta's event in Australia occurred five months before a planned law banning children under 16 from social media platforms was set to be enforced. Meta's message to influencers was that blanket bans are ineffective and that its existing tools adequately protect teens.

Tech Transparency Project Report

A report by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) revealed Meta's systematic approach to using influencers and financially supporting advocacy groups to push back against proposed teen social media bans. TTP Director Katie Paul stated that Meta's reliance on influencers suggests the company recognizes it cannot fight these measures alone, as such bans could cost millions of users. Paul also noted that Meta needs influencers to spread its message due to a lack of public trust in the company.

Meta's Stance

In response to the report, Meta stated that it works to build strong protections for teens and effective controls for parents. Edward Patterson, a Meta spokesperson, commented that "blanket bans don’t keep young people safe, they simply push them toward less safe, unregulated corners of the internet."