FILE PHOTO: This May 1, 2018, photo shows Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
San Francisco, United States — Advocates for children from around the world urged Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday to ditch plans for a version of Instagram geared toward pre-teens.
Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood and the Electronic Privacy Information Center were among nearly 100 groups and individuals from North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia to make the plea in a letter to Zuckerberg.
Instagram “exploits young people’s fear of missing out and desire for peer approval,” the letter contended.
“The platform’s relentless focus on appearance, self-presentation, and branding presents challenges to adolescents’ privacy and well-being,” it argued, building on concerns about predators, bullies, and inappropriate content.
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Instagram is exploring the launch of a version of the image-centric social network for children under 13, with parental controls.
Facebook-owned Instagram, like its parent company, allows only those older than 13 to join but verifying age on the internet makes it challenging to catch all rule-breakers.
