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What really happens inside one of the most powerful companies in the world?
This week, we sit down with Brian Boland, a former senior leader at Facebook (pre-Meta), who spent more than a decade helping build and scale Facebook and Instagram's advertising systems — and later testified in court about what he saw.
Brian was in the courtroom for nearly five hours. In this candid conversation, he pulls back the curtain on:
- What it feels like to testify under oath against your former company
- How Meta’s internal culture shifted after whistleblowers like Frances Haugen spoke out
- The reality of Mark Zuckerberg’s power inside the company — and why the board can’t remove him
- How algorithms are built, tested, and optimized — and why even engineers don’t fully understand their long-term impacts
- Whether Meta is truly incentivized to limit teen usage
- The truth about ad revenue from minors
- How accurate age-estimation technology really is — and why that matters
- What whistleblowing actually costs the people who do it
Brian doesn’t call for the end of social media. In fact, he believes these platforms could be built to strengthen communities. But he’s clear: the current incentives — profit, growth, daily active users — drive decisions that put engagement above safety.
He also shares what he told executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, before he left — and the response he received.
If you’ve ever wondered:
- Are these platforms intentionally habit-forming?
- Do they really know how young users are?
- Could they reduce harm if they wanted to?
- Why don’t more insiders speak out?
This episode is essential listening.
It’s a rare, inside look at how power, profit, algorithms, and accountability collide — and what it might actually take to force change.
The Heat is On...Big Tech on Trial is an investigative mini-series by Scrolling 2 Death, in partnership with Heat Initiative.
Video Editing expertly provided by Jacob Meade.
Research mentioned in the episode: Social media platforms generate billions of dollars in revenue from U.S. youth: Findings from a simulated revenue model (Raffoul article)
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