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 time to talk to parents and researchers and safety experts and get to more consensus about how to move forward,” said Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, in an interview Monday on NBC’s “Today” show. Facebook announced the development of an Instagram Kids app in March, saying at the time that it was “exploring a parent-controlled experience.” Two months later, a bipartisan group of 44 attorneys general wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, urging him to abandon the project, citing the well being of children. Child development experts urged the company to shut down its Messenger Kids app in 2018, saying it was not responding to a “need” as Facebook insisted but creating one instead.

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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, …

Meta's AI-Powered Tool to Detect Lies About Age on Instagram
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Meta's AI-Powered Tool to Detect Lies About Age on Instagram

India Today  

Meta's new AI tool, the 'adult classifier,' will analyze users' online behaviors and profile information to verify their age. It automatically switches users under 18 to 'teen accounts' with restricted privacy settings. This move is part of Meta's broader effort to protect teens from potentially harmful content on social media, especially as it faces legal challenges and criticism from state …

Meta introduces new “Teen Accounts” on instagram to enhance parental control
3 months, 1 week ago

Meta introduces new “Teen Accounts” on instagram to enhance parental control

New Indian Express  

Meta is launching “teen accounts” for Instagram users under 18, aimed at giving parents greater oversight of their children's online activities. Key features of the teen accounts include enhanced parental controls, such as the ability to set daily usage limits, restrict access during nighttime hours, and monitor direct messages and content categories viewed by teens. This update follows Meta's commitment …

Instagram is restricting teen accounts—and blocking sneaky workarounds
3 months, 1 week ago

Instagram is restricting teen accounts—and blocking sneaky workarounds

Live Mint  

Starting this week, it will begin automatically making youth accounts private, with the most restrictive settings. And younger teens won’t be able to get around it by changing settings or creating adult accounts with fake birth dates. Instagram plans to go even further, starting next year: Using artificial intelligence, it said, it will identify children who are lying about their …

Instagram Introduces Teen Accounts, Other Sweeping Changes To Boost Child Safety Online
3 months, 1 week ago

Instagram Introduces Teen Accounts, Other Sweeping Changes To Boost Child Safety Online

Huff Post  

File - The Instagram logo is seen on a cell phone in Boston, USA, Oct. 14, 2022. via Associated Press Instagram is making teen accounts private by default as it tries to make the platform safer for children amid a growing backlash against how social media affects young people’s lives. “So teen accounts is really focused on addressing those three …

Instagram makes teen accounts private as pressure mounts
3 months, 1 week ago

Instagram makes teen accounts private as pressure mounts

Al Jazeera  

Instagram is making teen accounts private by default as it tries to make the platform safer for children amid a growing backlash against how social media affects young people’s lives. “So teen accounts is really focused on addressing those three concerns.” The announcement comes as the company faces lawsuits from dozens of US states that accuse it of harming young …

Instagram makes teen accounts private as pressure mounts on the app to protect children
3 months, 1 week ago

Instagram makes teen accounts private as pressure mounts on the app to protect children

LA Times  

Students use their cellphones as they leave for the day at the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts in downtown Los Angeles. Instagram is making teen accounts private by default as it tries to make the platform safer for children amid a growing backlash against how social media affects young people’s lives. “So teen accounts is really …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 {{ …

Younger children increasingly online and unsupervised, Ofcom says
8 months ago

Younger children increasingly online and unsupervised, Ofcom says

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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In its annual study of children’s relationship with the …

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 …

Meta takes steps to shield teens from inappropriate content: What it means?
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Meta takes steps to shield teens from inappropriate content: What it means?

India TV News  

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has announced new steps to increase safety for teens by automatically applying more restrictive content controls. According to the company, the aim is to create a safer online environment for teens, addressing concerns related to inappropriate content and promoting a more secure social media experience. Stricter Content Controls for Teens Meta is …

Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, claims US States’ lawsuit
1 year ago

Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, claims US States’ lawsuit

Hindustan Times  

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, was aware of hundreds of thousands of complaints about underage users on the platform but chose not to disclose this information and acted only on fractions of the complaints, claimed a legal complaint, The New York Times reported. The company documents mentioned in the complaint revealed that several Meta officials admitted to engineering products …

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 {{ …

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 …

Child social media stars have few protections. Illinois aims to fix that
1 year, 7 months ago

Child social media stars have few protections. Illinois aims to fix that

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Holed up at home during the pandemic lockdown three years ago, 13-year-old Shreya Nallamothu was scrolling through social media when she noticed a pattern: Children even younger than her were the stars — dancing, cracking one-liners and being generally adorable. “I realized that there’s a lot of exploitation that can happen within the world of ‘kidfluencing,’” said Nallamothu, …

Is 13 too young to have TikTok or an Instagram account? Some medical experts think so
1 year, 10 months ago

Is 13 too young to have TikTok or an Instagram account? Some medical experts think so

ABC  

The surgeon general is the "nation's doctor" in the United States. He said it poses a risk to young people's "self-worth and their relationships", adding: "I, personally, based on the data I've seen, believe that 13 is too early … the skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children." Young people …

Meta launches new safety features for teen users of Facebook and Instagram
2 years, 1 month ago

Meta launches new safety features for teen users of Facebook and Instagram

Hindustan Times  

Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, is launching new tools to protect teens and their privacy on its platforms. Meta also shared an update on the work they are doing to stop the spread of teens’ intimate images online. “We’re sharing an update on how we protect young people from harm and seek to create safe, age-appropriate experiences for teens …

Now, you can monitor your child's activities on Instagram
2 years, 3 months ago

Now, you can monitor your child's activities on Instagram

Hindustan Times  

Multimedia platform Instagram on Thursday rolled out its parental supervision feature in India to enable parents in getting more involved in their children's experiences on the app. The platform has also introduced a ‘Family Center’, which enables parents and guardians to access supervision tools and resources from leading experts, Instagram said in a statement. Instagram said its parent company Meta …

Instagram brings its parental supervision tools to India
2 years, 3 months ago

Instagram brings its parental supervision tools to India

India TV News  

Meta-owned photo and video-sharing platform Instagram on Thursday rolled out its parental supervision tools in India to help parents get more involved in their teen's experiences on the platform. "The supervision tools and the Family Center will add to our efforts on keeping young people safe. Our intention is to strike the right balance for young people's desire for some …

Snap launches tools for parents to monitor teens’ contacts
2 years, 4 months ago

Snap launches tools for parents to monitor teens’ contacts

The Hindu  

Snap Inc, owner of the popular messaging app Snapchat, rolled out its first parental control tools on Tuesday, which will allow parents to see who their teens are talking to, but not the substance of their conversations. Instagram also testified in a Senate hearing in December over children’s online safety, after a Facebook whistleblower leaked internal documents that she said …

Snapchat's new parental controls try to mimic real-life parenting, minus the hovering
2 years, 4 months ago

Snapchat's new parental controls try to mimic real-life parenting, minus the hovering

NPR  

Snapchat's new parental controls try to mimic real-life parenting, minus the hovering Enlarge this image toggle caption Elva Etienne/Getty Images Elva Etienne/Getty Images Snapchat is rolling out parental controls that allow parents to see their teenager's contacts and report to the social media company — without their child's knowledge — any accounts that may worry them. "It allows parents to …

Meta rolls out more parental controls for Instagram and virtual reality
2 years, 6 months ago

Meta rolls out more parental controls for Instagram and virtual reality

NPR  

Meta rolls out more parental controls for Instagram and virtual reality Enlarge this image toggle caption Noah Berger/AFP via Getty Images Noah Berger/AFP via Getty Images Facebook parent company Meta is rolling out additional parental supervision measures for Instagram and its virtual reality headset, expanding on a suite of tools released in the U.S. in recent months. Business Facebook parent …

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 to let users ‘take a break’ from the platform
3 years ago

Instagram to let users ‘take a break’ from the platform

The Hindu  

Instagram has launched multiple features aimed at offering more safety tools for teenagers, including a tool that will ask users to take a break if they have been scrolling for a certain amount of time. The rollout comes a day before Instagram's chief Adam Mosseri is scheduled to appear before the U.S. Senate to face questions over the platform’s child …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 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 …

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