Attorneys General Urge Zuckerberg to abandon teenage Instagram | News on children’s rights

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The attorneys general of 44 territories and states in the United States are calling on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to abandon plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13.

“Facebook apparently does not react to a need, but creates one, since this platform primarily addresses children who otherwise do not have or would not have an Instagram account,” says a letter from the Attorney General (PDF) sent to Zuckerberg.

The letter, signed by attorneys general of 40 states as well as attorneys general of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, underscores how detrimental social media can be to the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of children.

“The use of social media can adversely affect the health and well-being of children who are unable to cope with the challenges of having a social media account,” the attorneys general said.

An increase in psychological distress, depression, body image problems and suicidal thoughts in young people has been attributed to their use of social media, the attorneys general added.

Children and teenagers are simply not ready or willing to tackle the myriad of challenges that come with an Instagram account because they lack the developed understanding of privacy and are not yet able to determine what content is shared on these platforms should.

Children under the age of 13 may also not understand the durability of the content they share online.

“They are also simply too young to cope with the complexities of what they encounter online, including inappropriate content and online relationships where other users, including predators, can use the anonymity of the internet to hide their identities,” the attorneys general said .

BuzzFeed news in March reports that Instagram plans to launch a version for teenage children.

Last month, the nonprofit Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) urged Zuckerberg to abandon plans to launch the Instagram app for children under the age of 13, stressing that doing so would put the youth at “great risk”. The efforts of the Attorneys General are also supported by the CCFC.

“Instagram in particular takes advantage of young people’s fear of missing out and their desire for peer approval to encourage children and teenagers to keep their devices checked and share photos with their followers,” said CCFC in its letter (PDF).

The attorneys general underlined on Monday that cyberbullying among children is a critical problem that a new Instagram platform could likely make worse. Children can be more cruel behind a computer – a phenomenon that is now rampant during the COVID-19 pandemic as children spend more time on social media.

The attorneys general also alleged that Facebook does not protect children’s safety and privacy, despite claims that its products are subject to strict privacy controls.

For example, Facebook’s Messenger Kids app, which was developed for children between the ages of six and 12, contained a design flaw that allowed children to bypass interaction restrictions and participate in group chats with strangers that were not previously approved by the children’s parents they said they were, citing a 2019 report.

For its part, Facebook said in a statement Monday that it is exploring Instagram for children to give parents more control over the content their children may already be accessing online and to make every effort to keep young users safe, including by not advertising is shown on the platform.

“We are developing these experiences in consultation with child development, child safety and mental health experts and data protection officers,” the company said. “We also look forward to working with lawmakers and regulators, including the country’s attorneys general.”

Facebook also said it is a founding sponsor of the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, which was launched in March to study the effects of digital technology on the “brain, body and behavior of children.”

The following attorneys general signed Monday’s letter: Massachusetts, Nebraska, Vermont, Tennessee, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri , Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, District of Columbia , Puerto Rico, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

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