• Policy Report Tech The executive that helped build Meta’s ad machine is trying to expose it Brian Boland testified about shifting from “deep blind faith” in Meta, to becoming its public critic. • Brian Boland testified about shifting from “deep blind faith” in Meta, to becoming its public critic. • Link Share Gift Brian Boland spent more than a decade figuring out how to build a system that would make Meta money. • On Thursday, he told a California jury it incentivized drawing more and more users, including teens, onto Facebook and Instagram - despite the risks. • Boland’s testimony came a day after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerbergtook the stand in a caseover whether Meta and YouTube are liable for allegedly harming a young woman’s mental health. • Zuckerberg framed Meta’s mission as balancing safety with free expression, not revenue.
Article Summaries:
- Former Meta executive Brian Boland testified before a California jury that the company’s ad‑driven business model prioritized growth and engagement over user safety, especially for teens. Boland, who left Meta in 2020 after 11 years, described a culture of “move fast and break things” and a leadership focus on revenue that he says shaped platform design. His testimony came a day after CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a case alleging Meta and YouTube harmed a young woman’s mental health. Boland’s remarks aim to counter Zuckerberg’s framing of Meta’s mission as balancing safety with free expression.
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