Instagram's Boss Faces Congress' Questions on Harm To Teens

The head of Instagram will find himself in Congress' crosshairs for the first time Wednesday in the one area lawmakers have shown they are willing to pass tech regulations -- protecting youngsters online. From a report: Republicans and Democrats have found common ground in grilling tech companies on how their products harm children, especially after revelations in The Wall Street Journal about Instagram's potential harm to the mental health of teen girls. Instagram head Adam Mosseri will testify before the Senate Commerce consumer protection subcommittee Wednesday on how the photo-sharing app is used by teens. Ahead of the hearing, Mosseri announced changes Instagram is making to better protect young users, including launching the Take a Break option for a user that's been scrolling for a certain amount of time and building a feature that will nudge teens toward different topics if they've been dwelling on one. The company also announced that it plans a March launch for tools parents can use to see -- and limit -- how much time their kids spend on Instagram.And Instagram in January will allow users to bulk delete posts, including photos, videos, previous likes and comments. At the hearing, expect Mosseri to emphasize Instagram's commitment to sharing data with researchers, as well as the company's support for some regulations around verifying the age of users and designing age-appropriate experiences. Instagram's parent-company Meta has criticized the Wall Street Journal's reporting, arguing that it mischaracterized the Instagram research and that most teens suffering from issues such as sadness or anxiety find Instagram helpful.

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