Explained | Why Facebook is holding off on kids’ Instagram
3 years, 2 months ago

Explained | Why Facebook is holding off on kids’ Instagram

The Hindu  

Bowing — perhaps only for a moment — to pressure from lawmakers, critics, the media and child development experts, Facebook said Monday it will “pause” its work on a kids' version of its photo and video-oriented Instagram app. In public, however, Facebook has consistently played down the app’s negative side and until now has barrelled ahead with the kids’ version despite alarms from experts, lawmakers and its own research. Four years ago, Facebook said it gathered a group of experts in the fields of online safety, child development and children’s media to "share their expertise, research and guidance." “Instagram is a much much worse platform for children" than Messenger, he said, noting Facebook's own internal research and a “wealth of evidence" supporting this point.

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History of this topic

Cut risks, not potential, of social media for young with Instagram Teen Accounts
2 weeks, 2 days ago

Cut risks, not potential, of social media for young with Instagram Teen Accounts

India Today  

Being a great communication and learning tool for teenagers, managing the use of social media by them is becoming increasingly important. The idea behind Instagram Teen Accounts is to place teens in built-in protections and reassure parents that their children are having safe experiences. “Parents and educators play a vital role in managing teenagers’ social media experiences. Using these features, …

Teen sues Meta for $5bn saying Instagram’s features are ‘addictive’
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Teen sues Meta for $5bn saying Instagram’s features are ‘addictive’

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The case cites numerous internal documents …

How parents approach social media for different children in the same family
7 months, 1 week ago

How parents approach social media for different children in the same family

ABC  

Deciding when and how children should access social media is a challenge for parents and there's rarely a one-size-fits-all solution — even when it comes to kids in the same family. Following the South Australian government's proposal to ban social media access for children under 14, two parents share how they're managing when their kids have very different interests and …

The EU says Instagram and Facebook may be too addictive for children in fresh investigation, here's what we know
7 months, 1 week ago

The EU says Instagram and Facebook may be too addictive for children in fresh investigation, here's what we know

ABC  

The European Union is warning Facebook and Instagram may be too addictive as it launches an investigation into whether the platforms have breached the Digital Services Act in areas linked to the protection of minors. The European Union opened fresh investigations into Facebook and Instagram over suspicions that they're failing to protect children online, in violation of the bloc's strict …

Facebook and Instagram face fresh EU digital scrutiny over child safety measures
7 months, 1 week ago

Facebook and Instagram face fresh EU digital scrutiny over child safety measures

Associated Press  

LONDON — The European Union opened fresh investigations Thursday into Facebook and Instagram over suspicions that they’re failing to protect children online, in violation of the bloc’s strict digital regulations for social media platforms. It’s the latest round of scrutiny for parent company Meta Platforms under the 27-nation EU’s Digital Services Act, a sweeping set of regulations that took effect …

Facebook and Instagram face fresh scrutiny under the European Union's strict digital regulations
7 months, 1 week ago

Facebook and Instagram face fresh scrutiny under the European Union's strict digital regulations

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok CEOs face tough questions on child safety online I Watch LIVE proceedings
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok CEOs face tough questions on child safety online I Watch LIVE proceedings

India TV News  

California: The CEOs of top social media apps and video streaming platforms including Meta, TikTok, X and others are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about child exploitation on their platforms, as lawmakers, families and advocates are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media on young people’s lives. So independent regulation needs to step in.” Facebook to face …

Court documents underscore Meta’s ‘historical reluctance’ to protect children on Instagram
11 months, 1 week ago

Court documents underscore Meta’s ‘historical reluctance’ to protect children on Instagram

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Newly unredacted documents from New Mexico’s lawsuit against Meta underscore the company’s “historical reluctance” to keep children safe on its platforms, the complaint says. One internal document referenced in the lawsuit shows Meta “scrambling in 2020 to address an Apple executive whose 12-year-old was solicited on the platform, noting ‘this is the kind of thing that pisses …

Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say
1 year ago

Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew — but never disclosed — it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports from The Wall Street Journal and The New York …

States sue Meta for harming young people's mental health, collecting data on children
1 year, 2 months ago

States sue Meta for harming young people's mental health, collecting data on children

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

A worrying number of Instagram, TikTok challenges are harming children
1 year, 3 months ago

A worrying number of Instagram, TikTok challenges are harming children

The Hindu  

Risky challenges that trend on social networks are not new. One recent example is the viral ‘Egg Crack Challenge’ where adults call their unsuspecting children to the camera under the pretext of cooking or baking with them, only to break an egg on their forehead. The ‘Egg Crack Challenge’ was immediately criticised by parents who claimed it would teach children …

If Even Mark Zuckerberg Is Hiding His Kids’ Faces on Instagram, What Are the Rest of Us Doing?
54 years, 11 months ago

If Even Mark Zuckerberg Is Hiding His Kids’ Faces on Instagram, What Are the Rest of Us Doing?

Slate  

Mark Zuckerberg had a nice Fourth of July. “Fascinated by Zuck’s choice to not have his kids’ faces on his social media platform,” Bloomberg Businessweek’s Reyhan Harmanci observed. Over the weekend, when Twitter seemed like it might truly, finally break, many people I know flocked to other platforms; others said they were simply quitting the entire exercise of dispensing quips …

Instagram and Facebook are adding more parental controls. Critics say they aren’t enough
1 year, 5 months ago

Instagram and Facebook are adding more parental controls. Critics say they aren’t enough

Associated Press  

Instagram and Facebook’s parent company Meta is adding some new parental supervision tools and privacy features to its platforms as social media companies face increasing scrutiny over their effects on teen mental health. This, Meta says, “will help parents understand how well their teen knows these accounts, and help prompt offline conversations about those connections.” Jim Steyer, the CEO and …

Facebook knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content: internal document
2 years ago

Facebook knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content: internal document

CBS News  

Families suing social media companies Suing Social Media: Families say social media algorithms put their kids in danger | 60 Minutes 13:29 A previously unpublished internal document reveals Facebook, now known as Meta, knew Instagram was pushing girls to dangerous content. Attorney Matt Bergman started the Social Media Victims Law Center after reading the so-called "Facebook Papers," disclosed by whistleblower …

Facebook will block kids from downloading age-inappropriate virtual reality apps
2 years, 9 months ago

Facebook will block kids from downloading age-inappropriate virtual reality apps

NPR  

Facebook will block kids from downloading age-inappropriate virtual reality apps Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images Facebook's parent company, Meta, plans to roll out parental supervision tools for its virtual reality headset, as concerns mount over whether kids are safe while exploring the so-called "metaverse." Meta is also creating a new "Family Center" hub that …

Instagram aims to bring back a chronological feed in 2022
3 years ago

Instagram aims to bring back a chronological feed in 2022

The Hindu  

The head of Instagram said on Wednesday he aims to launch next year a version of the app with a chronological feed, rather than one ranked by algorithms, in his first appearance before Congress where he was grilled about children's safety online. Instagram and its parent company Meta Platforms Inc, formerly Facebook, have come under intense scrutiny over the potential …

Instagram plans to bring back chronological feed next year, top exec says
3 years ago

Instagram plans to bring back chronological feed next year, top exec says

CNN  

CNN — Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified for the first timebefore a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday as lawmakers question the app’s impact on the mental health ofyounger users. “Specifically, we believe there should be an industry body that will determine best practices” for social media companies to verify user ages, cater to different age groups and provide parental controls, he …

Instagram's effect on kids under probe in U.S.
3 years, 1 month ago

Instagram's effect on kids under probe in U.S.

The Hindu  

A bipartisan coalition of U.S. state attorneys general said on Thursday it has opened a probe into Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, for promoting its subsidiary Instagram to children despite potential harms. "Facebook, now Meta, has failed to protect young people on its platforms and instead chose to ignore or, in some cases, double down on known manipulations that …

State attorneys general probing Instagram’s effects on kids
3 years, 1 month ago

State attorneys general probing Instagram’s effects on kids

Associated Press  

A group of state attorneys general are investigating the photo-sharing platform Instagram and its effects on children and young adults, saying its parent company Facebook — now called Meta Platforms — ignored internal research about the physical and mental health dangers it posed to young people. “For too long, Meta has ignored the havoc that Instagram is wreaking on the …

Instagram investigated by US states over impact on kids
3 years, 1 month ago

Instagram investigated by US states over impact on kids

Al Jazeera  

The probe involves at least nine states and comes at a time when Facebook is under scrutiny over its approach to children. A bipartisan coalition of United States state attorneys general said on Thursday it has opened a probe into Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, for promoting its subsidiary Instagram to children despite potential harms. “Facebook, now Meta, has …

Multiple states investigating Instagram over efforts to get children active on its platform
3 years, 1 month ago

Multiple states investigating Instagram over efforts to get children active on its platform

LA Times  

A group of U.S. state attorneys general are investigating Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram photo-sharing app over its efforts to engage children and young adults, taking aim at the risks the social network may pose to their mental health and well-being. “Our coalition will not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to protect children and young adults from the harms …

Facebook will try to ‘nudge’ teens away from harmful content
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook will try to ‘nudge’ teens away from harmful content

The Hindu  

A Facebook Inc executive said Sunday that the company would introduce new measures on its apps to prompt teens away from harmful content, as U.S lawmakers scrutinise how Facebook and subsidiaries like Instagram affect young people's mental health. Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president of global affairs, also expressed openness to the idea of letting regulators have access to Facebook algorithms …

Instagram to encourage teenagers to take a break from the platform and stay away from harmful content
3 years, 2 months ago

Instagram to encourage teenagers to take a break from the platform and stay away from harmful content

India Today  

Instagram is working on new ways to make the platform a safe place for young users. The photo-sharing app will now introduce a new feature that would ask teenagers to maintain a safe distance from harmful content and encourage them to “take a break” from Instagram. The announcement Clegg came shortly after ex-Facebook employee turned Whistleblower made shocking claims about …

Instagram and teens: How to keep your kids safe
3 years, 2 months ago

Instagram and teens: How to keep your kids safe

Associated Press  

For many parents, revelations this week from whistleblower Frances Haugen showing internal Facebook studies of the harms of Instagram for teenagers only intensified concerns about the popular photo sharing app. To comply, social media companies have generally banned kids under 13 from signing up for their services, although it’s been widely documented that kids sign up anyway, either with or …

Facebook knows it is in trouble as Mark Zuckerberg picks his battles
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook knows it is in trouble as Mark Zuckerberg picks his battles

Hindustan Times  

When Senator Edward Markey on Tuesday called Frances Haugen “a 21st-century American hero,” it underlined the trouble Facebook finds itself in. Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook is defending allegations that the company has long ignored teenage safety on its platforms, particularly Instagram, resolving conflicts in favour of profits. Facebook has been accused of hiding internal research about how Instagram’s algorithms were negatively …

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy
3 years, 2 months ago

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy

NPR  

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images A former Facebook product manager told Congress on Tuesday that the company's products harm children and stoke division, while Facebook executives hide research about the social network's risks to keep its business humming. Facebook internal research provided by Haugen …

Today's Cache | Facebook needs a shrink
3 years, 2 months ago

Today's Cache | Facebook needs a shrink

The Hindu  

Facebook is overwhelmed, and has reached out for help Facebook’s problems have compounded in recent times. U.S. lawmakers called CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress on how his firm protects users’ information. The WSJ report comes at a time when Facebook executives are due to face U.S. lawmakers over an issue with Instagram’s plan to build an app for …

Past storms haven’t fazed Facebook. Instagram Kids might
3 years, 2 months ago

Past storms haven’t fazed Facebook. Instagram Kids might

Associated Press  

Nineteen-year-old Gigi Painter hopes Facebook’s planned “Instagram Kids” never becomes a reality. Antigone Davis, Facebook’s head of global safety, defended Instagram’s efforts to protect young people using its platform, insisting that Facebook cares “deeply about the safety and security of the people on our platform.” The Senate Commerce Subcommittee is is examining how Facebook handled information from its own researchers …

Senators push Facebook exec on Instagram policies for youth
3 years, 2 months ago

Senators push Facebook exec on Instagram policies for youth

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Senators fired a barrage of criticism Thursday at a Facebook executive over the social-networking giant’s handling of internal research on how its Instagram photo-sharing platform can harm teens. “It’s abundantly clear that Facebook views the events of the last two weeks purely as a PR problem, and that the issues raised by the leaked research haven’t led to …

Under 13 Instagram Paused for Now: Is Social Media for Kids a Good Idea?
3 years, 2 months ago

Under 13 Instagram Paused for Now: Is Social Media for Kids a Good Idea?

The Quint  

The brains up at Instagram's parent company, Facebook Inc. have been working on a long term business plan to tap the untapped demographic of preteens according to an exposé in the Wall Street Journal. YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok already have separate versions for kids, which position themselves as a way of making sure children are exposed to only kid friendly …

Foes united vs Facebook over Instagram's effect on teens
3 years, 2 months ago

Foes united vs Facebook over Instagram's effect on teens

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mounting public pressure over the revelations have prompted …

Under criticism, Facebook to highlight own positive research on Instagram and teens
3 years, 2 months ago

Under criticism, Facebook to highlight own positive research on Instagram and teens

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc, under criticism over internal data showing its Instagram app damaged the mental health of teenagers, plans to highlight during a U.S. Senate hearing on Thursday what it argues were more positive impacts, according to the company's prepared testimony seen by Reuters. Facebook has been under fire for the past week after the Wall Street Journal reported internal documents …

US lawmakers question Facebook on Instagram policies for children
3 years, 2 months ago

US lawmakers question Facebook on Instagram policies for children

Al Jazeera  

United States lawmakers have heaped criticism on Facebook Inc on the company’s plans to protect children who use its social media platforms, after a leaked internal investigation showed the social media giant was aware of how its Instagram app harmed the mental health of teenagers. Democratic Senator Edward Markey added: “IG stands for Instagram, but it also stands for Insta-greed.” …

Senators Blast Facebook For Concealing Instagram's Risks To Kids
3 years, 2 months ago

Senators Blast Facebook For Concealing Instagram's Risks To Kids

NPR  

Senators Blast Facebook For Concealing Instagram's Risks To Kids Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Patrick Semansky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. We know it chooses the growth of its …

EXPLAINER: Why Facebook is holding off on kids’ Instagram
3 years, 2 months ago

EXPLAINER: Why Facebook is holding off on kids’ Instagram

Associated Press  

Bowing — perhaps only for a moment — to pressure from lawmakers, critics, the media and child development experts, Facebook said Monday it will “pause” its work on a kids’ version of its photo and video-oriented Instagram app. Four years ago, Facebook said it gathered a group of experts in the fields of online safety, child development and children’s media …

Instagram is not toxic for teens, says Facebook
3 years, 2 months ago

Instagram is not toxic for teens, says Facebook

India TV News  

Facebook has shared more details about its internal research into Instagram's impact on teenage girls as the social media giant hits back at a report on the research after it was made public on The Wall Street Journal. In a blog post, Facebook Vice President and Head of Research, Pratiti Raychoudhury dismissed the WSJ's assessment of internal research as not …

Facebook puts Instagram for kids on hold after pushback
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook puts Instagram for kids on hold after pushback

Associated Press  

Facebook is putting a hold on the development of a kids’ version of Instagram, geared toward children under 13, to address concerns that have been raised about the vulnerability of younger users. “I still firmly believe that it’s a good thing to build a version of Instagram that’s designed to be safe for tweens, but we want to take the …

Facebook puts Instagram Kids on hold amid criticism of planned app
3 years, 2 months ago

Facebook puts Instagram Kids on hold amid criticism of planned app

The Hindu  

Instagram has hit pause on a new app it is creating for kids, the photo-sharing service owned by Facebook Inc said on Monday, in a move that comes amid growing opposition for the project. "We won't stop pressuring Facebook until they permanently pull the plug," said Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay, an advocacy group focused on kids. "The reality …

‘Instagram for children’ paused amid parents’ fears over child safety
3 years, 2 months ago

‘Instagram for children’ paused amid parents’ fears over child safety

The Telegraph  

Instagram has paused plans to build a children's version of the social network, the app's boss has said amid a backlash against the proposals from parents and child safety experts. Adam Mosseri, the head of Facebook-owned Instagram, said he still believed "strongly" the company's aim of creating a version for children as young as 10 was the "right thing to …

Instagram hits pause on kids’ version amid outcry over leaked research
3 years, 2 months ago

Instagram hits pause on kids’ version amid outcry over leaked research

LA Times  

Facebook Inc. is pausing work on rolling out an Instagram Kids app after the social networking company came under criticism for its negative effect on children, especially on teenage girls. Facebook said it’s not abandoning the idea to create a dedicated experience for kids younger than 13, but the company will take time to discuss it with experts, parents and …

Instagram pauses plans to develop app for kids under 13
3 years, 2 months ago

Instagram pauses plans to develop app for kids under 13

Al Jazeera  

The pause gives the photo-sharing app a chance to listen to concerns of parents and lawmakers and respond accordingly, Instagram’s chief said on Monday. Development plans for Instagram Kids are on hold for now, the photo-sharing app’s chief announced on Monday, after The Wall Street Journal reported in a series of investigative articles that Facebook is aware that Instagram is …

Instagram says social media’s effect on people mental health “mixed”
3 years, 3 months ago

Instagram says social media’s effect on people mental health “mixed”

The Hindu  

Internal researchers at Facebook-owned Instagram have found the app poses serious mental health danger to many teen girls, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week, citing internal company documents. The image-sharing platform added that social media’s impact on the wellbeing of people is “mixed” and depends on the state of mind when people use it. According to the company’s …

What your kids wish you knew about Instagram
3 years, 3 months ago

What your kids wish you knew about Instagram

LA Times  

This is the Sept. 20 edition of the 8 to 3 newsletter about school, kids and parenting. “It’s a question of whose body brings more traffic and more engagement,” said Gloria Lucas, founder of Nalgona Positivity Pride, an Instagram account dedicated to eating disorder awareness in BIPOC communities. Indeed, while TikTok is ruled by dancers and comedians, “fitness models” dominate …

Facebook has known for a year and a half that Instagram is bad for teens despite claiming otherwise
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook has known for a year and a half that Instagram is bad for teens despite claiming otherwise

Firstpost  

Facebook’s policy of pursuing profits regardless of documented harm has sparked comparisons to Big Tobacco, which knew in the 1950s that its products were carcinogenic but publicly denied it into the 21st century Lexington, US: Facebook officials had internal research in March 2020 showing that Instagram the social media platform most used by adolescents is harmful to teen girls’ body …

Facebook Messenger product director Interview
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook Messenger product director Interview

The Hindu  

The month of August marked 10 years since Facebook’s Messenger was launched. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Messenger’s Director of Messaging Product Sateesh Kumar Srinivasan shares insights into the app’s journey over the last 10 years and what users can now look forward to. Over 60% of eligible people on Instagram have updated to the new Messenger experience …

Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

Live Mint  

About a year ago, teenager Anastasia Vlasova started seeing a therapist. “Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse," the researchers said in a March 2020 slide presentation posted to Facebook’s internal message board, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. “Teens told us that they don’t like the amount …

Facebook knows Instagram is harmful to teen girls: WSJ
3 years, 3 months ago

Facebook knows Instagram is harmful to teen girls: WSJ

Al Jazeera  

Documents seen by The Wall Street Journal show that Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for young girls, which strays from the tech giant’s public position on the matter. For the last three years, Facebook has studied how its Instagram photo-sharing app affects the mental health of its millions of young users, and the firm’s researchers have repeatedly found that Instagram …

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram
3 years, 6 months ago

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram

NPR  

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram Enlarge this image toggle caption Rick Bowmer/AP Rick Bowmer/AP Social media companies prohibit kids under 13 from signing up because of federal privacy law. Parents say struggles with social apps start at early age Parents say Zuckerberg is right: many kids are going on social media, despite the …

Why Instagram for kids is being criticised by lawmakers and child rights groups
3 years, 7 months ago

Why Instagram for kids is being criticised by lawmakers and child rights groups

The Hindu  

Facebook-owned Instagram is said to be working on a separate app for children under 13, BuzzFeed News reported in March. Most recently, a group of U.S. lawmakers urged Facebook to not to create an Instagram service for children as it could potentially harm their physical and mental well-being. Facebook was on the edge of violating the Children’s Online Privacy and …

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