By Reuters 
1h ago
David Shepardson
WASHINGTON – A group of Democratic US lawmakers on Tuesday urged Facebook Inc to drop plans for a version of photo-sharing app Instagram for children younger than 13, saying the social media company had failed to “make meaningful commitments to protecting kids online.
Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal andRepresentatives Kathy Castor and Lori Trahan said Facebook hadnot addressed their concerns. Facebook told the lawmakers in anApril 26 letter made public on Tuesday that it does not have aset timeline for the version, but expects development will “takemany months.”
“Facebook has a clear record of failing to protect children on its platforms,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.”When it comes to putting people before profits, Facebook has forfeited the benefit of the doubt, and we strongly urge Facebook to abandon its plans to launch a version of Instagramfor kids.”
Last week, a group of 40 state attorneys general also urged Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to abandon those plans.
A Facebook spokesman said Tuesday “as every parent knows,kids are already online. We want to improve this situation bydelivering experiences that give parents visibility and controlover what their kids are doing.”
The company said previously it will not show ads in anyInstagram version for people under 13.
The letter from the state attorneys general cited 2019 mediareports that Facebook’s Messenger Kids app, intended for kidsbetween the ages of six and 12, “contained a significant designflaw that allowed children to circumvent restrictions on onlineinteractions and join group chats with strangers that were notpreviously approved by the children’s parents.”
Last month, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhoodalso called on Zuckerberg not to create a kids version, sayingit would put them at “great risk.”
REUTERS