Religious leaders, through a letter sent by advocacy group Fairplay and their Children’s Screen Time Action Network, have urged Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg to permanently stop the company’s plan for an Instagram version aimed at young users.
Since last September, Instagram has paused its plans to introduce a version of the photo-sharing app for kids, as opposition to the project grew.
The letter, which was signed by more than 70 religious leaders, asserts that “social media platforms that target immature brains, practice unethical data mining, and are inspired by profit motives are not a tool for the greater good of children.”
Instagram and its parent company, Meta Platforms (FB.O) formerly Facebook, have come under intense scrutiny over the potential impact of their services on the mental health, body image and safety of young users, including after whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked internal documents about the company’s approach to younger users.
A coalition of state attorneys general has also opened a probe into Meta for promoting Instagram to children despite potential harms.
Instagram, like other social media sites, has rules against children under 13 joining the platform but said it knows it has users under this age.
The letter from the faith groups, which quoted the Bible, Qur’an, Pope Francis and Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh, called on Zuckerberg, as someone who has in the past said religion is “very important,” to recognize spiritual as well as secular concerns about the project.