A CNBC report is drawing attention to the financial ties between Meta and the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), fuelling debate over the role of sponsorship in online child safety initiatives.
Tech Transparency Project (TTP) published findings showing that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has worked with the PTA since at least 2010, contributing sponsorship and featuring prominently in its events and campaigns.
The revelations come amid rising concern over sextortion, lawsuits, and regulatory scrutiny of social media platforms, highlighting how industry funding may shape conversations on teen safety online.
National PTA links with Meta date back to 2010
The National PTA is a nonprofit with nearly 4 million members and more than 20,000 chapters across the US, advocating for children’s education, health, and safety.
According to TTP’s Tuesday report, Meta’s sponsorship of the organisation has allowed it to promote initiatives that enhance its public image while facing criticism over the impact of Instagram and Facebook on young users.
Meta has appeared in PTA events and social media posts, with its sponsorship most visible in projects like PTA Connected, launched in 2018 with Facebook as a founding sponsor.
The company also tapped the PTA in 2017 to roll out Messenger Kids, its under-13 messaging app, which later became subject to regulatory challenges.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2023 accused Meta of misleading parents about parental controls on Messenger Kids.
Meta denied wrongdoing and is contesting both the FTC’s proposed restrictions and the constitutionality of its process.
Sextortion and rising legal scrutiny of Meta
Sextortion cases have intensified concern about safety on social media platforms. In one case, Riley, a 15-year-old, died by suicide after being targeted on Facebook Messenger.
The blackmailer demanded $3,500, according to his mother. The Department of Homeland Security reported more than 3,000 sextortion tips in 2022.
Alongside criminal investigations, Meta faces civil litigation. A federal master complaint filed in March 2024 in California alleges that Facebook and Instagram were intentionally designed to be addictive.
The complaint also identifies the PTA as an organisation used by Meta to expand its reach in schools.
In 2023, 42 attorneys general sued Meta, claiming its platforms were addictive and harmful to children and teens.
In response, Meta said in July 2024 that it had removed 600,000 profiles linked to predatory behaviour and had strengthened direct messaging protections on Instagram.
Instagram teen accounts and PTA endorsements
In September 2024, Meta introduced Instagram Teen Accounts, which provide users aged 13 to 17 with safeguards limiting who can contact them.
The feature’s launch included a statement from PTA president Yvonne Johnson praising the move, although the release did not disclose Meta’s sponsorship of the PTA.
ParentsTogether, a nonprofit, later reported that inappropriate content was still visible to some teen users. Campaigners argued that presenting such accounts as safer than they are could increase risks.
The PTA has promoted Meta safety tools on its Instagram page, with posts showing members at digital safety workshops alongside the Meta logo.
Other large platforms, including Google, YouTube, TikTok, and Discord, also sponsor the PTA. In 2024, TikTok contributed over $300,000 for programmes about teens and social media.
Meta expands safety efforts through TTC Labs
Meta’s partnership strategy is not limited to the PTA. The company created Trust, Transparency & Control Labs (TTC Labs) in 2017 to collaborate on safety initiatives.
TTC Labs has published reports on Instagram Teen Accounts and Horizon Worlds, which Meta cites as evidence of its commitment to protecting children.
However, watchdog groups argue these ties give Meta undue influence over how its products are perceived by parents and schools.
Critics say this creates conflicts of interest at a time when social media companies are under growing pressure to address harms linked to teen mental health, sextortion, and addictive design features.
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