Friday 19th November 2021
Because of endangering children
US states examine the impact of Instagram
Revelations by whistleblower Frances Haugen put Facebook, now known as Meta, under pressure. Several US states are examining whether and to what extent the Instagram subsidiary harms children. It is about violations of the consumer protection law.
After serious allegations by the whistleblower Frances Haugen, several US states have launched an investigation into the possible harmful effects of the Instagram online platform on children and adolescents. Massachusetts State Attorney General Maura Healey said that Instagram parent company Facebook, now renamed Meta, had knowingly exposed young users to potential health hazards for the benefit of its own profits.
“Facebook, now Meta, has not protected young people on its platforms, but instead ignored or, in some cases, intensified known manipulations that pose a real threat to physical and mental health,” said Healey. The online giant knew about these risks. Children were “exploited in the interests of profit”. Healey and the attorneys general of Florida, California, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont are now investigating whether the company has violated state consumer protection laws.
In the past few months, Facebook had come under massive pressure due to revelations based on documents and statements by its former colleague Haugen. Accordingly, the company knew, among other things, that the Instagram photo platform can damage the mental health of girls and, for example, promote eating disorders and depression. The Internet giant founded by Mark Zuckerberg has decidedly rejected the allegations. The Facebook group changed its name to Meta at the end of October. The Facebook platform itself keeps its name.