Meta discontinued a 2019 internal study called Project Mercury after findings showed that users who stopped using Facebook and Instagram for a week experienced reductions in depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social comparison.
The research, conducted with Nielsen, aimed to understand how the platforms influenced users’ mental health, political polarisation, news consumption, and social interactions.
Despite clear indications that stopping use improved well-being, Meta halted the project and did not publicise the results, reportedly due to concerns about the existing media narrative around the company. Internal sources likened withholding the findings to tobacco companies concealing cigarette harms.
This issue is part of wider lawsuits by parents, school districts, and attorneys general accusing Meta and other social media companies of knowingly allowing harm to young people and misleading the public. The legal filings also allege Meta weakened safety features, delayed content removals, and prioritised user engagement at the expense of teen protection.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone rejected these accusations, describing the research as flawed and stating that the results only showed that people who believed Facebook was harmful felt better after quitting. He highlighted ongoing efforts to safeguard teenagers, including Teen Accounts and parental controls. Google similarly denied related claims about YouTube, pointing out it is a streaming service with safety tools rather than a social network.
The controversy around Project Mercury raises urgent questions about transparency and corporate responsibility in social media’s impact on youth mental health, displaying the risks of suppressing research with negative findings.