The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Instagram’s possible risks to kids stir furor
Facebook is facing renewed fury from Washington after reports suggested the company knew, but didn’t disclose, that its Instagram platform could pose risks to teenagers.
The report from the Wall Street Journal citing Facebook’s own internal research gives fuel to politicians who have pledged to hold social media companies accountable for their impact on mental health, civil discourse and democracy. Though previous rounds of outrage over issues such as the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal haven’t dented Facebook’s business model or profitability, this backlash could bring Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and other company executives back to testify before Congress about the shortcomings.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-tenn., the chair and ranking member of the Senate consumer protection subcommittee, said they have been in contact with a Facebook whistleblower and “will use every resource at our disposal to investigate what Facebook knew and when they knew it.”
The senators said Tuesday they planned to seek further documents and speak with witnesses as part of the investigation. The Senate Commerce Committee has the power to issue subpoenas for records and witness testimony.
“It is clear that Facebook is incapable of holding itself accountable,” the senators said. “The Wall Street Journal’s reporting reveals Facebook’s leadership to be focused on a growth-at-all-costs mindset that valued profits over the health and lives of children and teens.”
This is a common complaint from lawmakers of both parties. Washington Rep. Cathy Mcmorris Rodgers, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, opened a March hearing with Zuckerberg and other tech executives by saying their platforms are her “biggest fear as a parent” — a complaint she echoed Tuesday.
Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, also said he’ll be “demanding answers” about the Journal report.
When asked for comment about the statement from Blumenthal and Blackburn, a Facebook spokesperson referred to an earlier blog post from Karina Newton, Instagram’s head of public policy, about what internal and external research found regarding social media’s impact on young people.
“The question on many people’s minds is if social media is good or bad for people,” Newton wrote. “The research on this is mixed; it can be both. At Instagram, we look at the benefits and the risks of what we do.”