US lawmakers question Facebook on Instagram policies for children
Al Jazeera
Senators grill social media giant after Wall Street Journal reported it was aware Instagram harmed teens’ mental health.
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.
The Senate consumer protection subcommittee hearing on Thursday came after the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper published articles about how Facebook knew its photo-sharing platform caused some teenagers, girls in particular, to feel bad about their self-image.
Amid mounting questions, Facebook earlier this week paused plans to develop Instagram Kids, saying it wanted “time to work with parents, experts, policymakers and regulators to listen to their concerns”.
