Meta enlisted parenting influencers, celebrities and medical professionals to help improve public perception of its child safety efforts amid mounting criticism over the impact of social media on young users, according to a new report released by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP).

The Washington-based research group said Meta promoted its Instagram “Teen Accounts” through a broad campaign involving online creators and health experts who shared supportive messages with followers while disclosing partnerships with the company.

The report argues the effort was designed to shape public opinion as Meta faces legal and political pressure over allegations that its platforms have failed to adequately protect minors from harmful content and exploitation.

Teen Accounts, introduced by Instagram for users under 17, include built-in safety measures intended to limit unwanted contact, restrict sensitive content and provide parents with additional supervision tools such as screen-time controls and privacy settings.

According to TTP, Meta invited hundreds of influencers, including parenting content creators known as “momfluencers,” to promotional events focused on the new features. The report alleges many participants later echoed Meta’s messaging on social media, sometimes using hashtags or disclosures indicating paid partnerships.

Among those identified was influencer and former reality television personality Sadie Robertson Huff, who praised Teen Accounts in a video shared with millions of followers.

“They have actually rolled out these new Teen Accounts that I think are absolutely incredible,” Robertson Huff said in a sponsored post highlighted in the report.

Other influencers mentioned included Alexia Delarosa, Noelle Downing and reality television figure Leroy Garrett, who reportedly posted positive comments after attending Meta events.

Garrett defended his cooperation with the company in comments to CNN, saying discussions about online safety required cooperation from multiple groups to create a safer environment for children.

The report also identified several doctors, psychologists and therapists who publicly supported Teen Accounts. Some reportedly appeared as speakers at Meta-sponsored events.

Among them were adolescent medicine specialist Dr. Hina Talib and psychologist Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, both of whom disclosed financial relationships with Meta while sharing supportive posts about the platform’s safety measures.

Talib told researchers she insisted on using her own wording rather than company-provided messaging during her work with Meta.

Meta has not directly responded to the TTP report but told CNN it works with creators and parents to raise awareness about parental controls and online safety tools.

The report also claims Meta used influencers to support legislation that would shift responsibility for age verification onto app stores operated by companies such as Apple and Google. Meta has argued parents should approve minors’ app downloads and that app stores should verify users’ ages.

Critics of those proposals say app-store verification alone would not address wider concerns surrounding addictive features and harmful content on social media platforms.

The findings come as Meta continues to face lawsuits in the United States accusing the company of failing to protect children online, including allegations linked to exploitation and harmful platform design.

Elon Musk has predicted that autonomous vehicles powered by artificial intelligence could account for nearly 90 percent of all driving within the next decade, but industry experts and researchers say major technological and regulatory obstacles make that timeline unlikely.

Speaking at the Samson International Smart Mobility Summit in Tel Aviv, Musk said self-driving technology would rapidly replace human drivers over the next five to 10 years.

“Probably 90 percent of all distance driven will be driven by the AI in a self-driving car,” Musk said, adding that manually driving a vehicle could become a niche activity within a decade.

The comments come as competition intensifies among companies developing autonomous driving systems, including Tesla, Waymo and several Chinese technology firms.

While advances in artificial intelligence have accelerated development in the sector since 2022, analysts say fully autonomous vehicles remain far from becoming mainstream.

Safety concerns continue to challenge the industry. Tesla recently recalled more than 200,000 vehicles in the United States over problems affecting rearview camera displays that regulators warned could increase crash risks.

Waymo has also faced setbacks. The company recalled around 3,800 robotaxis after identifying issues involving vehicles entering flooded roads at unsafe speeds.

Industry specialists say one of the biggest barriers remains what engineers call “long tail scenarios” — rare and unpredictable situations that autonomous systems struggle to interpret correctly.

Ali Kani, vice president of automotive at Nvidia, previously warned that such situations remain difficult for AI systems to manage consistently in real-world conditions.

One example occurred in San Francisco last year when Waymo temporarily suspended service during a citywide power outage. Several driverless vehicles reportedly became stranded after failing to interpret malfunctioning traffic lights.

Research published by the World Economic Forum suggests fully autonomous personal vehicles are unlikely to become widespread before the mid-2030s. The report estimated that by 2035, only about 4 percent of new cars would feature complete self-driving capability.

Instead, experts expect gradual growth in robotaxi fleets and autonomous freight transport operating in controlled environments or specific urban areas.

Partially automated systems are already becoming more common. Level 2 driving technology, where vehicles can steer, brake and accelerate while drivers remain responsible for supervision, is now widely available in many markets.

Europe currently permits Level 2 systems and has approved limited Level 3 automation under certain conditions. In the United States and China, some cities have already introduced Level 4 robotaxi operations, where vehicles can operate without human intervention in designated environments.

The International Energy Agency said fully driverless Level 5 autonomy, capable of operating under all conditions without human involvement, is still “not currently in sight.”

The agency estimates the global robotaxi fleet could grow to between 700,000 and 3 million vehicles by 2035, concentrated mainly in large cities.

Analysts say autonomous driving technology will continue expanding in the coming years, though most expect human drivers to remain a central part of road transport for decades.