Plans to create a version of the social media app Instagram – which is owned by Facebook – for children under age 13 are being met with pushback by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle this week.
Following a Wall Street Journal report about internal research by the Mark Zuckerberg-helmed company, Sen. Ed Markey od Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida and U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, all Democrats, wrote a letter Wednesday to Zuckerberg urging him to cease the project.
According to the Wall Street Journal report, six percent of teen Instagram users experienced suicidal thoughts related to using the app, where users share photos and videos. Research also shows it exacerbates body image and mental health issues.
“Mark Zuckerberg told me that he was aware of a 2019 study into rising suicide rates among young people during an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing – and this new piece illuminates the fact that our children, especially young girls, are still being harmed online, specifically on his very own platforms,” Castor said in a statement.
Previously, Castor, Markey and Trahan sent a letter to Zuckerberg about the project in April, shortly after BuzzFeed News first reported on it in March. Documents obtained by the outlet indicated that Instagram executives intended the youth-centered Instagram to be a safe alternative to the existing app.
In addition to the Democrats’ message to cease work on an Instagram for kids, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee announced Tuesday that the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security would investigate Facebook’s knowledge if its impact on teens.
Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington – who pressed Zuckerberg at the March House hearing about social media and mental health – also weighed in on Tuesday, according to NPR.
“Facebook refused to comply with our request and we now know why. This also leaves us wondering what else they are hiding,” she said in a statement regarding a request she and her fellow Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee requested in March.
In response to the Wall Street Journal report, Karina Newton, head of public policy for Instagram, wrote a blog post Tuesday. She said that the research reference in the article represented a limited set of findings and that the company is working to use the research to improve its products and their impact on users’ mental health.
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