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Children’s Privacy: Facebook pauses Instagram Kids following WSJ report backlash that it knew it harms teens

Widespread outrage resulting from a Wall Street Journal report including research from in-house documents showing Facebook knows Instagram is harmful to teens, but is advancing its Instagram for Kids program anyway, has caused the company to retrench – though only to pause the program for ages up to 13. Those older, the company says, would have expanded parental oversight. Critics, including members of Congress investigating the issues, fear this will not mitigate the problem for teens, who according to Facebook researchers, said Instagram exacerbates image issues, anxiety and depression, particularly in teen girls.