RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALL ON MARK ZUCKERBERG TO SCRAP INSTAGRAM KIDS PLANS

Wed 09 February 2022:

Rabbis, reverends, pastors, and other religious leaders urged Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to scrap the company’s plan to introduce an Instagram version aimed for young users in a letter issued by the advocacy group Fairplay and its Children’s Screen Time Action Network.

Last September, Instagram postponed its plans to launch a children’s edition of the photo-sharing app due to widespread criticism.

“After much meditation and prayer, we assert that social media platforms that target immature brains, practice unethical data mining, and are inspired by profit motives are not a tool for the greater good of children,” said the letter, which was signed by more than 70 religious leaders.

Instagram and its parent company, Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, have been questioned in recent months about their potential impact on the mental health, body image, and safety of young users, particularly after an internal document about the company’s attitude toward young users was leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen.

Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri was grilled by a Senate panel in December about children’s online safety. Meta is also being investigated by a coalition of state attorneys general for promoting Instagram to children despite potential risks.

The leaked materials, according to Meta, have been used to present a false picture of the company’s work.

Instagram for Kids was created to provide a safe and dedicated space for younger users to interact with the service, according to the company.

Instagram, like other social media platforms, does not allow minors under the age of 13 to join its platform, despite the fact that it acknowledges there are users under this age.

Using references from the Bible, the Qur’an, Pope Francis, and Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh, the faith groups called on Zuckerberg, who has said religion is “very important” in the past, to acknowledge both secular and spiritual concerns over the project.

The company refuses to respond to the letter.

In its efforts to drive engagement on its platforms, Meta conducted a concerted outreach to the religious community last year.

Last year, the organisation, which has a team dedicated to faith partnerships, launched a new feature on the site that lets users to request and offer prayers, as well as sending out small equipment kits for streaming worship during the COVID-19 pandemic and hosting its first virtual faith summit.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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