“It is crucial to increase the protection of children online, not least because Facebook is collecting data on children and will benefit from their detailed profile,” said Rasha Abdul-Rahim, Co-Director from Amnesty Tech. “Companies in the social media sector have an obligation to protect children and young people on the internet. However, creating special versions of the usual platforms for them is not a solution.
“Facebook’s business model is based on constant and pervasive surveillance that is totally incompatible with human rights. By making children on Instagram agree to opaque terms of service, Facebook will be able to obtain a large amount of data about them and create detailed and intrusive profiles that may follow them for life. As a result, children will always be at risk of being bombarded with targeted advertisements and inflammatory messages intended to capture their attention at all costs. They will be at the mercy of Facebook’s algorithms, which often only amplify disinformation and deepen divisions in order to elicit as many reactions as possible.
“According to a report on artificial intelligence and children’s rights, including the right to privacy, recently released by the United Nations, more than 72 million pieces of data are collected on every child by online advertising companies before even that this one reached the age of 13 years.”
SOURCE: Amnesty.be, 19 March 2021