Meta employees ordered 'attorney/client privilege' hats amid child safety lawsuits
Meta has sought to shield evidence from public view using attorney-client privilege in lawsuits concerning alleged harm to teen safety and mental health. Criticism has emerged following the unsealing of documents showing an order for caps labeled 'a/c priv.'.
Meta has attempted to withhold evidence in ongoing lawsuits alleging harm to teen safety and mental health. The company's lawyers have invoked attorney-client privilege to prevent certain information from being disclosed.
However, lawyers representing plaintiffs have criticized Meta's broad application of this privilege, arguing it is being used excessively to conceal evidence.
The issue gained attention this week with the unsealing of a document revealing an order for baseball caps bearing the label "a/c priv." These caps were associated with the team responsible for launching Instagram's Teen Accounts in 2024.
Plaintiffs' attorneys view this as indicative of a "culture of privilege abuse at Meta," intended to obstruct the discovery process. They contend that the company is leveraging privilege to protect information that could establish its liability for the negative experiences of young users.