Facebook Should End 'Instagram For Children' Plan: Washington AG

OLYMPIA, WA — Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has joined a bipartisan group of 43 other attorneys general in asking Facebook to put an end to a proposal to create a new version of Instagram for children.

Late last month Facebook confirmed they were developing a new version of Instagram, or an Instagram-like photo sharing social media app for children under 13. The proposed app would be ad-free, though, as the Wall Street Journal reports, it would likely help Facebook's ad-targeting programs and could help the social media giant rake in even more money in the long haul.

But what's good for Facebook won't be good for children, the attorney generals argue. In their letter to Facebook, they present three reasons the company should give up on the Instagram for kids program: the negative impact social media can have on developing minds, privacy concerns, and Facebook's spotty record protecting the safety and privacy of users on its platforms.

As the letter reads:

"Use of social media can be detrimental to the health and well-being of children, who are not equipped to navigate the challenges of having a social media account. Further, Facebook has historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms.

The attorneys general argue that Instagram has been shown through numerous studies to have a negative impact on user's self-image, and specifically cite a study of 5.4 million children who already use the app, and found that it was "frequently flagged for suicidal ideation, depression and body image concerns."

Instagram's current policy asks that users be 13-years-old or older, though its unclear how stringently the policy is enforced.

The AGs also say that children "do not have a developed understanding of privacy" and cannot reliably discern what should and should not be shared online.

Facebook argues that an Instagram solely for children would give parents greater control over what their children are exposed to, AP reported. However, the attorneys general argue that the company's record on that issue has been less than stellar.

"Facebook has a record of failing to protect the safety and privacy of children on its platform, despite claims that its products have strict privacy controls. Reports from 2019 showed that Facebook’s Messenger Kids app, intended for kids between the ages of six and 12, contained a significant design flaw that allowed children to circumvent restrictions on online interactions and join group chats with strangers that were not previously approved by the children’s parents."

>> Read the full letter from the 44 attorneys general to Facebook.