Sen. Chuck Grassley has formally requested information from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding allegations against a former company engineer who allegedly attempted to sext a minor. The Iowa Republican, serving as the Senate's president pro tempore, sent a letter to Zuckerberg on Wednesday following a confession by 44-year-old engineering manager Josh Felker.
Felker, who had been placed on leave from Meta, was arrested on July 15 after admitting on camera to an undercover group, Predator Poachers Long Island, that he had groomed and sexted an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old girl who did not exist. In a video of the encounter, Felker made statements expressing a desire to be the father of the person he was grooming.
Grassley's letter asserts that these allegations raise significant concerns about Meta's internal governance, employee screening processes, trust and safety culture, and the controls in place for employees working on products designed for children. The senator also questioned Meta's procedures for identifying, investigating, and responding to employee misconduct.
"These allegations raise significant questions regarding Meta’s internal governance, employee screening, trust and safety culture, and controls for employees who work on products and experiences designed for children," Grassley wrote, referencing The New York Post's reporting on the sting operation. "They also raise questions about Meta’s processes for identifying, investigating, and responding to employee misconduct."
Specifically, Grassley questioned the tech giant's internal vetting practices and oversight for employees involved in children's products. He also inquired whether Meta has ever knowingly employed registered sex offenders. Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has given Meta until August 12 to respond to eight specific questions concerning the incident and The Post's reporting.
Among the questions, Grassley is asking Zuckerberg to address each allegation against Felker, confirm if the engineer had access to non-public user data or internal systems linked to minors' accounts, and disclose any internal complaints filed against Felker. Grassley also demanded a complete accounting of all internal complaints, arrests, and allegations of sexual misconduct toward minors involving Meta employees over the past decade. Additionally, he requested a detailed description of the background screening and vetting processes for employees developing "digital experiences for children."
Grassley has previously sent multiple letters to Zuckerberg concerning child safety issues at Meta. This marks the fourth such correspondence in over a year. In prior letters, he raised concerns about Meta's ad targeting practices for teens, reports of bullying and sexual harassment on its Horizon Worlds platform, and allegations that the company misrepresented mental health risks and sexual exploitation on its platforms.
"The foxes must not be allowed to guard the hen house," Grassley stated in his letter. He indicated that his patience has diminished due to Meta's perceived lack of full cooperation with his previous inquiries.
A Meta spokesperson responded to The Post, stating, "This employee is no longer with the company and we are cooperating with law enforcement in its investigation."