OHIO — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is joining colleagues from other states in a push to convince Facebook to abandon its plan to create an Instagram for children under 13-years-old.
Yost and 43 others sent a letter on May 10 to the company saying social media could have negative consequences on younger children, affecting physical and mental health.
“Facebook and Instagram already have too much control over what we see, hear and buy – and when you add in the dangers of online predators and cyberbullying, it’s unsafe for children. Until Mr. Zuckerberg can prove that he’s doing more to police these platforms, he needs to stay away from our kids,” Yost wrote in a press release.
Buzzfeed News initially reported about the upcoming app on March 13. Instagram’s current policy prohibits children 13 and under from using the app.
Facebook wrote in a statement that it has plans for safety protocols on the app, but Fallon Radigan with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said there are ways parents can prevent their children from becoming victims to online predators.
“The most important question to ask your children and know who they are chatting with and what they are chatting with, what applications they are on, and when they are on these applications what information they are sharing,” she said. “Because the information they are sharing cannot come back.”
Watch the full interview above for some more tips on how to stay safe on social media.
