AG Raoul Pleads To Facebook: 'Stop' Developing Instagram For Kids

CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined 44 other attorneys general in asking Facebook to stop developing "Instagram Kids" for children under 13.

Raoul cited concerns of cyberbullying and predators in a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Monday. The letter follows concerns from lawmakers that social media and increased screen time from online learning have been detrimental to young kids.

BuzzFeed News was the first to report that Facebook, which owns Instagram, was considering making a version of the image-sharing app for kids based on internal documents obtained by reporters.

"By creating Instagram Kids, Facebook would only be creating a platform that could harm youths who are not equipped to handle the challenges and responsibilities that come with having an Instagram account, which allows them to share images with strangers online," Raoul wrote. "I urge Facebook to prioritize the safety of children and abandon its plans to launch Instagram Kids."

The bipartisan coalition brought up Facebook's 2018 accused violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act when its Messenger Kids app contained a glitch that allowed children to outsmart age restrictions and join group chats with strangers.

Attorneys also cited research from mental health groups and schools that point to increased suicidal thoughts and lower self-esteem with image-based social media. Last month, Instagram came under fire for what they said was a "mistake" in the algorithm that promoted diet-related content to users who specified they struggled with eating disorders.

"It appears that Facebook is not responding to a need, but instead creating one," the attorneys wrote, "as this platform appeals primarily to children who otherwise do not ... have an Instagram account."

A spokesperson for Facebook said in a statement that any product designed for children would "prioritize their safety and privacy." The company also committed itself to consulting with child safety and mental health experts and not showing advertisements to people under 13-years-old.

Other social media services like YouTube have services only for children, but age restrictions are difficult to verify for media companies across the board. In 2019, Google-owned YouTube reached a $170 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over claims the service earned money by collecting private data from kids without parental consent. YouTube no longer shows advertisements on child-focused videos.