Facebook’s plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under 13 have sparked a backlash. On May 10, 44 attorneys general signed a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergurging him to “abandon” his plans for an Instagram aimed at minors, saying it could have a negative impact on both the mental health and privacy of children. The letter comes less than a month after child safety groups and the U.S. Congress raised similar concerns.
Specifically, the letter states the following: “Social media use can be detrimental to the health and well-being of children, who are not able to cope with the challenges of having a social media account. Furthermore, Facebook has historically failed to protect the well-being of children on its platforms. Attorneys general want to protect younger citizens. Facebook’s plans to create a platform where children under 13 will be encouraged to share content online are contrary to this.”
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On the other hand, Facebook claims that such a service will give parents greater control over their children's online activity. Specifically, a Facebook spokesperson stated the following:
“As parents know, kids are already online. We want to improve that by providing experiences that give parents visibility and control over what their kids are doing. We’re developing these experiences in consultation with experts in child development, child safety and mental health, and privacy advocates. We also look forward to working with lawmakers and regulators, including attorneys general. In addition, we’re committed to not showing ads in any Instagram experiences we develop for people under 13.”
The spokesperson also added that Facebook is a founding sponsor of a new Digital Wellbeing Lab at Boston Children's Hospital to better understand the impact of digital technology on children.
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At a hearing in March in the US Congress, Zuckerberg was asked about the company's plans to create a version of Instagram for younger users.
Gus Bilirakis, a Greek-American politician and Member of the US House of Representatives, pointed out the following: “I find it very concerning that you are targeting this particular age group – 13 years old and under – considering the free services, how exactly are you going to make money? Or are you trying to make money off of our children and get them addicted early on?”
Zuckerberg said the platform is still in its early stages and that “there is clearly a large number of people under 13 who would like to use a service like Instagram.” Instagram does not officially allow users under 13 on the platform.
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However, because there is no strict age verification, some younger users are able to create accounts. While a more secure service could theoretically be better suited to the untapped audience, the letter raised major privacy concerns, noting that children “may not fully appreciate what content is appropriate to share with others, and who will have access to what they share online. Furthermore, they are too young to navigate the complexities of what they encounter online,” the letter said.
This isn't the first time Facebook has been interested in developing a children's version of one of its services. The Messenger Kids is aimed at users aged 6 to 12.
Source of information: edition.cnn.com
