Meta's Teen Accounts Are Sugar Pills for Parents, Not Safety for Kids
5 hours ago
- #Meta
- #Social Media
- #Teen Safety
- Meta's Teen Accounts are marketed to give parents peace of mind but fail to effectively protect teens.
- A report by researchers and former Meta executives found that only 17% of Instagram's Teen Account safety tools worked as described.
- Instagram's design has contributed to tragedies involving harmful content and bullying, with minimal assistance provided to affected users.
- Meta denies the report's findings, dismissing studies that contradict their desired image.
- Former Meta executive Arturo Béjar testified that Instagram harms teen mental health and criticized Meta's response to the report.
- Teen Accounts create a false sense of security, prioritizing parental comfort over actual child safety.
- Meta's approach mirrors past industries like tobacco, offering superficial solutions to avoid accountability.
- The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) proposes real safety measures, but Meta's actions delay necessary regulation.
- Pinterest demonstrates better practices by making teen accounts private by default, prioritizing well-being over profit.
- Parents are advised to keep teens off social media until platforms like Meta can prove their safety features work.