HARTFORD, Conn. — Attorney General William Tong has joined a coalition of 44 other attorney generals urging Facebook to abandon its plan to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13.
In their letter, the attorney generals expressed various concerns over Facebook’s proposal, including research that said social media can be harmful to the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children rapidly worsening concerns about cyberbullying on Instagram.
“Instagram for kids will undoubtedly open the door for predators, cyberbullying and other potential dangers," Tong said in a statement. "Facebook has failed to protect its adult users from disinformation, abuse and privacy breaches, so how can it be expected to protect vulnerable and impressionable children from these dangers?”
He continued: “The science has shown us that social media usage among children is linked to increased mental health issues and self-harm behavior. Facebook should strongly reconsider the launch of this product for the health and safety of our children.”
Additionally, the coalition argues young children are not equipped to handle the many challenges that come with having an Instagram account, including that they often lack a developed understanding of privacy.
They cite the risk that predators may exploit children online and cloak their identities using the anonymity of the Internet. The attorneys said Facebook and Instagram reported 20 million child sexual abuse images in 2020.
Co-leading the letter are the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Vermont, and the letter is joined by the attorneys general of Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, 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, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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