Instagram is recommending sexual videos to kids as young as 13, according to a new Wall Street Journal study released Thursday, June 20. The Journal created new accounts and set the ages to 13 years old to see what kind of content would be recommended.
Researchers said right off the bat, the accounts were recommended “moderately racy” videos like women dancing sensually or showing off their bodies. The Journal reported it took as little as three minutes after the accounts were created to start getting sexual reels.
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The study also found accounts that watched those videos and skipped over other reels started getting more explicit suggestions, including videos of women pantomiming sex acts or promising to send nude images.
In January, Instagram owner Meta said it was giving teens a more age-appropriate experience by restricting “sensitive content,” including sexually suggestive material.
For comparison, the Journal did the same test on TikTok and Snapchat. The report said neither recommended sexual videos to the accounts created as “teens.”
In fact, researchers even used those accounts to search age-inappropriate videos and follow accounts that produced them. They said the TikTok and Snapchat accounts still did not get age-inappropriate recommendations, even after that.
Tags: Apps, Children, Instagram, Instagram, Meta, Metaverse, Snap, Social Media, teenagers, TikTok, Wall Street Journal
[LAUREN TALOR]
INSTAGRAM IS RECOMMENDING SEXUAL VIDEOS TO KIDS AS YOUNG AT 13 – A NEW WALL STREET JOURNAL STUDY HAS FOUND.
THE OUTLET CREATED NEW ACCOUNTS AND SET THEIR AGES TO 13 YEARS OLD TO SEE WHAT KIND OF CONTENT WOULD BE RECOMMENDED.
THEY SAY RIGHT OFF THE BAT – THE ACCOUNTS WERE RECOMMENDED “MODERATELY RACY” VIDEOS… LIKE WOMEN DANCING SENSUALLY OR SHOWING OFF THEIR BODIES.
THE JOURNAL REPORTS IT TOOK AS LITTLE AS THREE MINUTES AFTER THE ACCOUNTS WERE CREATED TO START GETTING SEXUAL REELS.
THEY ALSO FOUND ACCOUNTS THAT WATCHED THOSE VIDEOS AND SKIPPED OVER OTHER REELS STARTED GETTING *MORE* EXPLICIT SUGGESTIONS… INCLUDING VIDEOS OF WOMEN PANTOMIMING SEX ACTS OR PROMISING TO SEND NUDES.
ALL THIS DESPITE INSTAGRAM OWNER META SAYING IN JANUARY IT WAS GIVING TEENS A MORE AGE-APPROPRIATE EXPERIENCE… BY RESTRICTING “SENSITIVE CONTENT” – INCLUDING SEXUALLY SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL.
FOR COMPARISON – THE JOURNAL DID THE SAME TEST FOR TIKTOK AND SNAPCHAT.
THEY SAY NEITHER RECOMMENDED SEXUAL VIDEOS TO THE ACCOUNTS THEY CREATED AS “TEENS”…
IN FACT – THEY EVEN USED THOSE ACCOUNTS TO SEARCH AGE-INAPPROPRIATE VIDEOS AND FOLLOW ACCOUNTS THAT PRODUCED THEM.
THEY SAY THE TIKTOK AND SNAPCHAT ACCOUNTS STILL DIDN’T GET AGE-INAPPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATIONS EVEN AFTER THAT.
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