Congress will investigate the allegations that Instagram harms teenagers
ByShehryar Makhdoom | Published date:
The two members of the Senate Commerce Committee's jurisdiction for consumer protection announced that they would open an investigation into Facebook following a story in The Wall Street Journal that described the business as conscious of the harm Instagram may do to young women.
Social media giant Facebook is under scrutiny by Sens." Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and "Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)." The senators claimed to contact a Facebook whistleblower and planned to obtain further information and evidence from the firm relating to the story.
Cannot trust Facebook to monitor itself. "The Wall Street Journal reported that
Facebook's management valued profits over children's and teenager's health and wellbeing," the legislators said. "When asked regarding Instagram's effect on teenage users, Facebook gave us vague, dishonest replies that hid clear evidence of considerable harm."
House legislators also have slammed Facebook for the new journal, and Republicans have even drafted a recent $3.5 trillion budgetary reconciliation amendment to address the effects of technology on youth.
Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) proposed the measure, which directs the Federal Trade Commission to attack "unfair and deceptive activities or tactics targeting our children's mental health and privacy by social media." The change failed.
Republican Representative Ken Buck (R-CO), chair of the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee, likened "Big Tech" to "Big Tobacco" in a tweet. Social media liars deny their product harm.
Three Democratic representatives of Congress — "Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL), and "Lori Trahan (D-MA)"— sent a letter to Facebook on Wednesday in response to the investigation, imploring the corporation to cancel plans to build an Instagram app for children.
"Our findings clearly show that Instagram poses serious concerns to the wellbeing of children and teenagers," the MPs stated.
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