Meta employees ordered ‘attorney/client privilege’ hats while fighting child safety disclosures

Meta is currently facing multiple lawsuits alleging that its platforms have contributed to mental health issues and safety risks for teenagers. During the legal proceedings, Meta’s legal team has frequently invoked attorney-client privilege to prevent certain internal documents from being disclosed to the public. However, plaintiffs' attorneys have challenged this strategy, arguing that the company is applying the privilege label far too broadly to shield itself from scrutiny. A recently unsealed document revealed that Meta employees even went as far as ordering hats branded with the phrase 'attorney/client privilege,' a detail that critics suggest highlights a dismissive attitude toward the legal discovery process. The ongoing litigation aims to uncover the extent to which Meta was aware of the potential harms its algorithms posed to younger users and whether the company took sufficient action to mitigate those risks.