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Zuckerberg Declined 2021 Request to Expand Meta Child-Safety Team: Report

The Meta boss allegedly snubbed the request despite it being backed by other senior leaders at the company.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg rejected a 2021 request to add more staff to the company’s teams responsible for child safety and well-being, according to Bloomberg. Citing documents and emails released by Congress, the outlet reports that Zuckerberg was sent a proposal to increase the teams’ headcount by Nick Clegg, then vice president of global affairs. Clegg, a former deputy prime minister of the U.K., was reportedly asking for 45 new employees to focus on child safety by addressing self-harm, bullying, and harassment. “From a policy perspective, this work has become increasingly urgent over recent months,” Clegg reportedly wrote. Despite senior leaders at the company supporting the idea, the request was not approved, Bloomberg reports. Zuckerberg and others are set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the effects of Meta’s apps on children.