More than 180,000 people have signed petitions in an ongoing outcry urging Facebook to scrap its plans for an Instagram for kids.
The signatures come from three petitions from nonprofit and grassroots organizations including the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, SumOfUs, and a joint effort led by the Juggernaut Project. The groups collectively claim that a version of Instagram – the photo- and video-sharing app with more than 1 billion users – is unsuitable for kids under 13.
The groups said Tuesday that they plan to submit the petitions, which began in early April, to Facebook ahead of the company’s annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday. In a statement, Josh Golin, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood’s executive director, said the groups will not allow Instagram to use young children as “pawns in its war with TikTok” for market share.
“Teens and even adults on Instagram struggle with the never-ending focus on appearance, the relentless fear of missing out, promotion of influencer culture, and the pressure to collect likes,” Golin said. “Instagram for young children is among the greediest, most tone-deaf, and wrong-headed ideas ever to emerge from Silicon Valley.”
In response, a Facebook spokesperson said, “We’ve just started exploring a version of Instagram for kids. We agree that any experience we develop must prioritize their safety and privacy, and we will consult with experts in child development, child safety, and mental health,…
