Delaware News

AG Jennings joins nationwide investigation into Instagram’s impact on youth

Consumer Protection | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | News | Date Posted: Friday, November 19, 2021


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Attorney General Jennings today joined a nationwide investigation into Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, for providing and promoting its social media platform – Instagram – to children and young adults despite knowing that such use is associated with physical and mental health harms. Attorneys General across the country are examining whether the company violated state consumer protection laws and put the public at risk.

“Nothing—nothing—is more important than protecting our kids, especially online,” said Attorney General Jennings. “We expect the world’s largest social media companies to be responsible. We’re launching this investigation because Delaware’s families need the law to be followed and our kids to be safe.”

The investigation targets, among other things, the techniques utilized by Meta to increase the frequency and duration of engagement by young users and the resulting harms caused by such extended engagement. Today’s announcement follows recent reports revealing that Meta’s own internal research shows that using Instagram is associated with increased risks of physical and mental health harms on young people, including depression, eating disorders, and even suicide.

AG Jennings has long been concerned about the negative impacts of social media platforms on Delaware’s youngest residents. In May, a bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general urged Facebook to abandon its plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13.

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Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

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AG Jennings joins nationwide investigation into Instagram’s impact on youth

Consumer Protection | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | News | Date Posted: Friday, November 19, 2021


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center

Attorney General Jennings today joined a nationwide investigation into Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, for providing and promoting its social media platform – Instagram – to children and young adults despite knowing that such use is associated with physical and mental health harms. Attorneys General across the country are examining whether the company violated state consumer protection laws and put the public at risk.

“Nothing—nothing—is more important than protecting our kids, especially online,” said Attorney General Jennings. “We expect the world’s largest social media companies to be responsible. We’re launching this investigation because Delaware’s families need the law to be followed and our kids to be safe.”

The investigation targets, among other things, the techniques utilized by Meta to increase the frequency and duration of engagement by young users and the resulting harms caused by such extended engagement. Today’s announcement follows recent reports revealing that Meta’s own internal research shows that using Instagram is associated with increased risks of physical and mental health harms on young people, including depression, eating disorders, and even suicide.

AG Jennings has long been concerned about the negative impacts of social media platforms on Delaware’s youngest residents. In May, a bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general urged Facebook to abandon its plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13.

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.