alt Hacker NewsQuestions, as the article is paywalled and I don't know:
* what in Earth is a "wellbeing expert".
This title sounds entirely made up, and I doubt there is such a degree.
If there is no degree, what were they basing their recommendations on?
What research? Papers?
If they have no formal schooling, what makes them experts or not?
Were these just Meta employees?
If they are, were other Meta employees equally skilled saying it was OK?
Ah well. Maybe the article says.
Replies
Would you be equally sceptical if the heading of a similar lay article referred to "computer experts"? That's also a made-up title and there's no such a degree.
“wellbeing” used as if it were the label of a discipline is almost invariably used for grifts that are intended to be viewed by the audience targeted as being in either (or straddling both) the physical or psychological health spaces, but where the grifter wants to avoid explicitly claiming to be operating in either of those spaces for liability or other reasons.
https://archive.md/VQNcJ (sadly this isn't the updated version with the 18 wellbeing experts line)
But basically it's about Zuckerberg testimony and evidence in an ongoing court case in California. I believe case 23SMCV03371 but there's a number of coordinated cases. [0]
From reading other articles[1][2][3][4] about the testimony I think "18 wellbeing experts" is referring to external consultation funded by Meta/Instagram that appears to have overwhelmingly turned up concerns about the impact beauty filters could have on young girls (who weren't even supposed to be on the platform in the first place).
There's some stuff with internal Meta employees also raising concerns. I didn't see anything about internal Meta employees saying it was ok but of course it's hard to know without free access to actual court transcripts and exhibits.
Zuckerberg himself said they decided to allow the filters but not recommend them and that not allowing the filters would have been paternalistic.
[0] https://www.lacourt.ca.gov/pages/lp/access-a-case/tp/find-ca...
[1] https://www.wunc.org/2026-02-18/zuckerberg-grilled-about-met...
[2] https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-testifies-social...
[3] https://www.kten.com/news/business/takeaways-mark-zuckerberg...
[4] https://www.wandtv.com/news/national/zuckerberg-testifies-at...