Attorneys general urge Facebook to scrap Instagram for kids

A bipartisan group of 45 attorneys general are urging Facebook to abandon plans to launch an Instagram for kids platform, citing concerns about children’s mental health and data privacy risks.

“It appears that Facebook is not responding to a need, but instead creating one, as this platform appeals primarily to children who otherwise do not or would not have an Instagram account. In short, an Instagram platform for young children is harmful for myriad reasons. The attorneys general urge Facebook to abandon its plans to launch this new platform,” the National Association of Attorneys General wrote in a letter Monday to Facebook.

Facebook’s plans about creating a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13 were first reported by BuzzFeed News in March, and the company has faced pushback from advocacy groups and lawmakers since.