In the name of the protection of children, the attorneys general of forty American states wrote on Monday to Mark Zuckerberg asking him to give up creating a version of Instagram for those under 13.
This project, revealed in March, arouses strong reactions of rejection, in particular among defenders of the rights of the child.
The social network Instagram is in theory forbidden to under 13 years old.
But nothing prevents young Internet users from inventing a false date of birth to create an account.
Mark Zuckerberg's group seeks to combat this phenomenon and is working to train child detection algorithms on its platform.
But it is a long-term job that is not without risk of errors.
Read also: Checking the age of Internet users, a real headache for social networks
At the same time, the social network is therefore seeking to build an application similar to Instagram, but designed for schoolchildren with a high level of parental control.
“Children are increasingly asking their parents if they can join apps that help them stay in touch with their friends,”
said Adam Mosseri, Instagram boss.
The group has already worked on this issue with Messenger Kids messaging.
On this application, parents must validate who their children can chat with, and they cannot delete their messages.
"Facebook does not seek to meet a need, but to create one"
But for US prosecutors, from Democratic and Republican states, “
the use of social media can be detrimental to the mental health and well-being of children, who are not armed to cope with risks.
""
Creating a social platform where children under 13 will be encouraged to share content is contrary to the interests of these young citizens,
"they claim.
Prosecutors cite the risks of depression, suicidal urges and eating disorders in the face of the platform's - often fictitious - beauty standards.
Another danger is the inability of children to gauge what is good or not good to share on the Internet, or to deal with sexual predators.
Finally, prosecutors highlight the cyberstalking that an Instagram for children "
could well exacerbate
".
“
Facebook does not know how to protect the security and the private life of minors, despite what it claims,
” they continue.
For prosecutors, "
Facebook does not seek to meet a need, but to create one
" by attracting children who would never have opened an account on the social network.
Instagram spokespersons responded to this open letter by affirming that the project was only in its infancy and that the social network would work with experts in childhood and the protection of young Internet users. In addition, there will be no advertising on this children's version of Instagram.