Zuckerberg urged to ditch version of Instagram for pre-teens
Advocates for children from all over the world are urging Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to ditch plans for a version of Instagram aimed toward pre-teens.
Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood and the Electronic Privacy Information Center were among practically 100 groups and people from THE UNITED STATES, Europe, Africa and Australia to help make the plea in a letter to Zuckerberg.
Instagram "exploits young people's concern with missing out and desire for peer approval," the letter contended.
"The platform's relentless give attention to appearance, self-presentation and branding presents challenges to adolescents' privacy and well-being," it argued, building on concerns about predators, bullies and inappropriate content.
Instagram is exploring the launch of a version of the image-centric social networking for children under 13, with parental controls.
Facebook-owned Instagram, like its parent company, allows only those over the age of 13 to become listed on but verifying age on the web makes it challenging to catch all rule breakers.
"The truth is that kids are online," Facebook spokeswoman Stephanie Otway said in response to an AFP inquiry. "They want to connect with their friends and family, have fun and learn, and you want to help them do that in a way that is safe and age-appropriate."
Facebook is working with child development and mental health experts to prioritize safety and privacy, according to Otway.
Instagram, which has more than a billion users, recently unveiled technology targeted at stopping underage children from creating accounts and blocking adults from contacting young users they don't know.
The platform is also looking at methods to make it more difficult for adults who've been exhibiting "potentially suspicious behavior" to interact with teens.
The children's advocates were dubious about the proposed youth version.
"Facebook's long track record of exploiting young persons and putting them at risk makes the business particularly unsuitable as the custodian of a photo sharing and social messaging site for children," their letter said.
"In short, an Instagram site for kids will subject young children to a number of serious risks and can offer few benefits for families."
Source: japantoday.com
