Facebook’s Abandoned Teen App Reveals Strategy to ‘Win’ Young Users
WASHINGTON – Internal documents revealed in a recent court filing show Facebook, now Meta, once developed a dedicated social media app for high school students called “Bell,” with the explicit goal of cultivating a new generation of users and ultimately funneling them onto its core platform. The app, designed in 2018, never launched, but the plans offer a revealing look into the company’s strategies for dominating the social media landscape, even at a young age.
The documents, filed as part of a sprawling lawsuit accusing Meta and other social media giants of knowingly designing addictive products harmful to minors, detail a vision for Bell as a “closed campus” where students could connect with classmates, discuss school events, and share memes. Features included class-based group chats, event organization tools, and even an anonymous “confessions” section reminiscent of the now-defunct app YikYak.
“High School communication is important to teens and important for us to win,” stated the April 2018 internal presentation. The strategy hinged on establishing Meta as the central hub for teen social life within schools across the United States, with plans to expand internationally to Australia, Canada, and Europe.
The presentation outlined a seamless transition for students graduating high school, with Bell designed to “provide a smooth on-ramp” for importing their information to Facebook. Data collected within the app would then be used to personalize their Facebook feeds, ensuring continued engagement with Meta’s products.
While the Bell app was ultimately shelved, Meta has continued to explore platforms aimed at younger audiences. Plans for an Instagram version for children under 13 were paused in 2021 following backlash from parent safety groups. The company also previously considered a dedicated Facebook app for children in 2017, but abandoned the idea after receiving negative feedback from parents.
A Meta spokesperson described Bell as an “early exploratory idea” that would have required significant moderation efforts. The spokesperson did not explain why the app was never released.
The emergence of these plans comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently defended the company’s platforms in court, arguing that users stay engaged because they find them helpful for connecting with others. Meta also points to new features within “Teen Accounts” designed to give parents more control and encourage responsible usage.
However, critics argue that these efforts are insufficient. Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, stated the court filings are “providing a look behind the curtain and are proving that the status quo was even worse than we imagined.”
The lawsuit against Meta, Google, ByteDance, and Snap alleges that these companies knowingly designed addictive social media products and promoted them to minors despite research highlighting potential harm to their mental health. Australia recently enacted a ban on children under 16 using social media, signaling a growing global concern over the impact of these platforms on young people.
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