For six months, Fairplay has been leading the campaign to get Facebook to cancel its planned Instagram Youth app. Today, we are excited to share some big news: Facebook announced that it is “pausing” its plans to create an Instagram for kids.
When plans for Instagram Youth were first leaked last March, it was assumed that a junior version of the image-obsessed app was a done deal. After all, Facebook usually does as it pleases without considering how its products actually impact people. But even with the odds stacked against us, we couldn’t just let this happen – the stakes were far too high.
So, Fairplay got to work right away, building a coalition of hundreds of experts and advocates; leading members of Congress, regulators, and 44 state attorneys general; and hundreds of thousands of concerned parents, grandparents, caregivers, and individuals who agreed Instagram Youth was a terrible idea.
And today, our hard work got results. This is a watershed moment for our growing movement and a great day for anyone who believes that children’s wellbeing should come before Big Tech’s profits. Together, we have shown that we can take on Goliath and win.
But our work isn’t done. We’re pressuring Facebook to use this “pause” to consult with the independent child development and tech experts who understand just how harmful Instagram Youth would be for children. Most importantly, we want this pause to be permanent – the safest version of Instagram for children is no Instagram at all.
Take Action
The first step is to sign on to our petition asking Facebook to once-and-for-all scrap Instagram for kids! Sign this petition to join over 100 experts and leading advocates in education and child development, leading members of Congress, 44 State Attorneys General and more than 200,000 parents and concerned citizens.
Plus, share the news! We’ve created this digital toolkit to make it easier to share with your networks far and wide.
We’re going to ensure that Facebook won’t get away with putting its bottom line ahead of kids’ health, safety, and mental wellbeing. Together, we’ve forced one of the world’s most powerful companies to blink. Now let’s take down Instagram for kids once and for all.