Children’s advocates urge not to create a version of the social network “Instagram” for children / Article / LSM.lv

Nearly a hundred children’s rights organizations from around the world have appealed to Facebook CEO Mark Zakerberg to abandon plans to create the popular social network Instagram version for children up to 13 years of age. –

A joint letter from the organizations states that the photo and video sharing site “Instagram” “uses young people’s fear of missing something and their desire for peer recognition”. The signatories of the letter believe that such a social network would endanger the privacy and mental health of children.

Facebook has said that children use the Internet a lot, so the company wants to give them the opportunity to use social networks safely and according to their age. The company works with child development and mental health professionals to ensure child protection and privacy on social networks.

Currently, people over the age of 13 can register on Instagram. The social network recently introduced technology aimed at preventing younger children from registering and blocking adults who try to make contact with unfamiliar minors.

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