Congressman Demands Facebook Release Research on Instagram’s Impact on Child Exploitation

Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck demanded Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hand over research into Instagram’s effects on teen users in a letter sent Thursday and obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Leaked documents published by The Wall Street Journal in September detailed some of Facebook’s research into how its image-sharing platform Instagram affects the mental health of teen girls, including how the platform can exacerbate suicidal tendencies and contribute to eating disorders. The research showed, among other things, that Instagram contributed much more to negative mental health than other social media platforms.

Buck, who serves as Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee, urged Zuckerberg to release all of Facebook’s research into Instagram’s effects on teen mental health, requesting information on how the platform contributes to eating disorders, anxiety, depression, suicidal tendencies and other mental health issues.

“Your company’s hypocrisy and immense apathy toward the detrimental impacts Instagram has on children’s wellbeing is astounding,” Buck wrote.

Buck also requested internal company studies on how Instagram’s algorithms promote overly sexualized portrayals of minors. Facebook removed 1.4 million pieces of content in the second quarter of 2021 it deemed to be sexually exploiting children, according to its transparency reports. (Read more from “Congressman Demands Facebook Release Research on Instagram’s Impact on Child Exploitation” HERE)

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