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.
