Facebook, Aware of Negative Impact on Teen Mental Health but Ignored, CTO Resigns Amid Controversy

▲Mike Schroepfer, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Facebook

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Facebook's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will step down from his position next year. This leadership change draws attention amid various controversies surrounding Facebook, including the development of Instagram for children and allegations of connections with Mexican drug cartels.

According to CNBC on the 22nd (local time), Mike Schroepfer, Facebook's CTO, announced his intention to resign.

Schroepfer wrote to Facebook, "After spending 13 years at Facebook, I have decided to step down as CTO and hand over the baton to Bosworth at some point in 2022. This was a very difficult decision because I care deeply about and love Facebook." He added, "After stepping down, I will devote much of my time to family and volunteer activities, but I will closely cooperate with the company regarding recruiting and developing technical talent."

Schroepfer joined Facebook in August 2008 as Vice President of Engineering. Since March 2013, he has served as CTO.

CNBC interpreted this as "a decision made following last week's Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report that Facebook's subsidiary Instagram knowingly ignored the mental harm it caused to teenage girls."

Earlier, on the 14th (local time), WSJ pointed out that Facebook confirmed through several in-depth internal investigations over three years that Instagram harms the mental health of teenage girls, yet was developing Instagram for children under 13. Following this report, political circles in the U.S. voiced criticism of Facebook and hinted at strengthening regulations on big tech companies, causing a backlash.

Andrew Bosworth, currently head of Facebook's hardware division, is expected to succeed Schroepfer as CTO. CNBC interpreted, "The appointment of Bosworth as CTO indicates that hardware-related sectors are a priority in Facebook's future plans." Facebook's earlier announcement that the metaverse?a virtual reality space where people can meet?will be a business priority supports this interpretation. Additionally, Facebook has announced the development of smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), stated, "Although Schroepfer is stepping down as CTO, he will continue to support Facebook in recruiting technical talent and growing AI-related projects. We are grateful for his contributions."