Facebook favors Instagram despite the state’s concern about the children’s app

Facebook has stated that it intends to launch a version of its Instagram photo app for young children despite a call by a team of more than 40 state attorneys general to cancel the project.

Bilateral addressed letter CEO Mark Zuckerberg, 44 senior attorneys, called on the social network to suspend plans to launch Instagram for under-13s, citing concerns that social media has a detrimental impact on children’s well-being.

The group argued that Facebook has historically “not protected the safety and privacy of children on its platforms.”

“An Instagram platform for kids is harmful for a number of reasons. Attorneys are urging Facebook to suspend plans to launch this new platform, ”he says in the letter.

In a statement, Facebook stated that it would continue with the plans, but would work with lawmakers to address their concerns.

“As all parents know, kids are online all the time, whether adults want to or not. We want to improve this situation by providing parents with experiences that will give them visibility and control over what their children are doing, ”Facebook said.

“We are developing these experiences in consultation with experts in child development, child safety and mental health and privacy, and we look forward to working with legislators and regulators, as well as the nation’s chief prosecutors.”

Intentions to build a new Facebook app, Bloomberg reported, are known internally Instagram Youth, child safety advocates and politicians reacted immediately when they were formed in March.

That month in the U.S. House of Representatives, Zuckerberg and members of the social media board, Jack Dorsey on Twitter and Sundar Pichai on Google, clashed. numerous allegations that their platforms are deliberately designed to engage young users early, track children online, and demonstrate toxic content and predators.

In a letter written Monday, senior attorneys noted that the Facebook Messenger for Kids app, which was launched in 2017, had a “significant design flaw” that allowed children to join group chats with strangers without their parents ’permission. It was a mistake fix it later.

Facebook has argued that working with a child-friendly version of its apps with additional parental controls would protect young people from lying about the age of enrollment on major platforms as they seem to be exposed to horrible content.

Facebook said Monday that the company is “committed to not showing ads on the Instagram experience we develop for people under the age of 13.”