52 attorneys general sent a letter on the eve of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security’s hearing titled “Protecting Kids Online: Testimony from a Facebook Whistleblower” to express their support for the hearing. As chief legal officers of their jurisdictions, attorneys general share the Senate Subcommittee’s concern for the well-being of children and the negative impact social media may have on mental health.
In May 2021, a bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general wrote a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging the company to abandon its plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13. That request was ignored. Last week, in advance of the Congressional hearings, Facebook announced their intent to “pause” the project. The attorneys general believe the project should be abandoned altogether.
