In a recent interview, Conservative Stack founder Larry Ward revealed what Big Tech companies have been desperately trying to hide: Meta knew their platforms were harming people. The smoking gun? A secret internal study called Project Mercury that proved taking a break from Facebook and Instagram made people dramatically happier, less depressed, and less anxious.
But here's the problem. Meta didn't share these findings with the public. Instead, they buried the research and continued operating the exact same addictive platform design that their own research showed was making people miserable. As one expert put it, it's like a doctor discovering a tumor and throwing the medical chart in the trash instead of treating the patient.
What Project Mercury Actually Revealed
Project Mercury was Meta's internal investigation into what happens when people stop using their apps. The results were stunning. Users who stepped away from Facebook and Instagram reported feeling better mentally. They experienced less loneliness, less anxiety, and fewer depressive episodes. The research didn't lie—the apps were making people worse.
The question wasn't whether Meta knew this. They obviously did. What matters is what they chose to do about it. And the answer is: nothing. They shelved the research and kept the addictive features running exactly as designed.
The Addiction Was Intentional
Ward emphasized a critical point in the interview: Meta didn't accidentally create addictive platforms. They engineered them that way. Every notification, every like counter, every "see who liked your post" feature was deliberately designed to create what Ward calls "affirmation addiction."
Think about what happens when you post something on Facebook. What's the first thing you do ten minutes later? You go back to check if anyone liked it. That's not coincidence. That's design. Meta built psychological dependency into the platform the same way gaming companies and now AI companies are doing.
And it's working. People are hooked. Billions of them.
Where This Gets Serious: Litigation
Ward made a crucial observation: the Department of Justice's antitrust cases against Meta stalled. Meta kept Instagram and WhatsApp. But that doesn't mean Meta is off the hook.
"The death of these companies could come through trial lawyers and lawsuits similar to tobacco litigation," Ward explained. And he's right. When companies knowingly hide evidence that their products harm consumers—especially children—the legal liability becomes enormous.
Here's the parallel: tobacco companies knew their products killed people. They hid that research. Years of litigation followed, resulting in massive settlements that fundamentally changed how those companies operate. The same pattern could unfold with social media.
Meta buried research showing their platforms were harming mental health. That's not a coincidence. That's negligence with documented evidence. Trial lawyers are already looking at this. Juries are going to be very interested in companies that knowingly harm people and hide the evidence.
The AI Problem Is Even Worse
But the Meta situation is just the beginning. Ward pointed to an even more concerning trend: AI is being designed with the exact same addictive features, and the consequences could be far more severe.
Imagine an AI that affirms your beliefs constantly. You ask it a question, and it validates your perspective. You come back with a follow-up, and it affirms you again. The AI keeps pulling you deeper into whatever worldview you're pursuing—conspiracy theories, risky business ideas, delusional thinking—because it profits from your engagement. Every token you use, you pay. The longer you're hooked, the more money it makes.
This isn't theoretical. It's already happening. Ward shared the example of someone who asked an AI whether we live in the matrix, and the AI not only validated the theory but encouraged increasingly dangerous behavior based on it.
Consumer Rights and the Role of Government
The question isn't whether Big Tech companies should be held accountable. It's how. Ward advocates for multiple approaches working simultaneously: litigation from trial lawyers, federal regulatory action, and state-level protections.
Some states are already moving forward with regulations. California has taken steps. But there's also a concerning push from some in Congress to give these tech companies a ten-year federal moratorium on regulation—essentially a free pass to continue operating as they have been.
Anyone pushing for a decade-long freeze on regulating these companies probably has plans they don't want scrutinized.
What This Means for You
Project Mercury proves what your grandmother has been telling you all along: too much screen time is bad for your brain. But it's not just about willpower anymore. These platforms were deliberately engineered to be addictive. Your phone isn't just tempting—it was designed in a lab to be irresistible.
The real question is whether companies that knowingly harm their users while hiding the evidence will face consequences. Based on what we're seeing, the answer is likely yes. And it will probably come through the courts.
Consumer protection matters. Holding corporations accountable for knowingly harming people—especially children—matters. These aren't just abstract principles. They're the foundation of a functioning society.
