Kentucky Attorney General and local cyber experts express concern about possible Instagram Kids App

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is sending a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging Facebook, the parent company of Instagram, to stop the launch of a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13.

A letter sent to Facebook requesting the company to stop the launch of an Instagram Kids application was signed by a bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general.

The letter cites serious concerns about the safety and well-being of children and the potential harm that can be caused by a social media platform aimed at young children, according to a press release.

In the letter, the attorneys general express several concerns over Facebook’s proposal.

The owner of Cyber-Safe Teen in Bowling Green, Mike Lemon, said the Instagram Kids app could be extremely dangerous for children, but could also allow parents to monitor their children online in a way they couldn’t on the regular Instagram app.

“This is exactly where the predators will go. They are going to know for sure, every kid on, every person on this app is going to be under 13 and so if that is what they are interested in, it is a perfect playground for them,” said Lemon.

Some concerns include predators making fake accounts and using the app to harm children and cyberbullying.

In 2020 alone, Facebook and Instagram reported 20 million child sexual abuse images, according to the release.

Locally, a former cybercrime detective for the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Tim Robinson, said cybercrime against children is something that happens everywhere, and south central Kentucky is no different.

“Yes, this is targeted at children. But let’s be honest. It is just like every other social media platform. You don’t know who the person is on the other end. They could be talking to a 50-year-old man any place in the world, because how are they going to verify who anybody is. No one else verifies information on social media,” said Robinson.

The letter also alleges the company has had an issue in the past with protecting the safety and privacy of children.

Facebook’s Messenger Kids app, intended for kids between the ages of six and 12, contained a glitch that allowed children to join group chats with strangers who were not parent-approved.

Robinson says adults are scammed online all the time, so children wouldn’t be any different.

Cyberbullying is another concern.

Youth who have experienced cyber-bullying were almost twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to those who had not, according to the Center for Suicide Prevention.

Also, young children may not fully understand the consequences of posting information online.

Things people post online can come back to haunt you in the future.

“When you put that stuff out on social media, it’s their property at that point and time and it’s going to stay there forever. So when you’ve got a potential employer that is doing a background check on you, they can go back and find these things,” said Robinson.

The letter concludes saying, “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. In short, an Instagram platform for young children is harmful for myriad reasons. The attorneys general urge Facebook to abandon its plans to launch this new platform.”