"Use of social media can be detrimental to the health
and well-being of children, who are not equipped to navigate the challenges of
having a social media account," the officials said in a letter that was
also signed by the attorneys general of the District of Columbia and three U.S.
territories. "Further, Facebook has historically failed to protect the
welfare of children on its platforms."
A Facebook spokesman did not have an immediate comment.
The bipartisan letter, which was signed by the attorneys
general of New York, Texas, California, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Michigan,
Ohio, Utah, Vermont and Kentucky and others said "it appears that Facebook
is not responding to a need, but instead creating one, as this platform appeals
primarily to children who otherwise do not or would not have an Instagram
account."
The letter said media reports from 2019 showed that
Facebook's Messenger Kids app, intended for kids between the ages of six and
12, "contained a significant design flaw that allowed children to
circumvent restrictions on online interactions and join group chats with
strangers that were not previously approved by the children's parents."
Last month, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
also called on Zuckerberg not create a version of photo-sharing app Instagram
for young children saying it would put them at "great risk."
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