If Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had any doubt about where U.S. law enforcers stood in regards to Zuck’s plan to unleash Instagram for children under the age of 13, all he has to do is go to his mailbox. 

44 attorney generals are urging him to ditch his plans to launch the new platform, and they sent him a letter telling him that in no uncertain terms. 

The letter is signed by AG’s of 40 states, along with the AG of Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. 

It points to the scientific data that shows how social media can be harmful to children’s emotional, physical and mental wellness. 

Here’s a little taste of what the letter said. “It appears that Facebook is not responding to a need, but instead creating one, as this platform appeals primarily to children who otherwise do not or would not have an Instagram account.

“Use of social media can be detrimental to the health and well-being of children, who are not equipped to navigate the challenges of having a social media account. An increase in mental distress, depression, body image issues and suicidal thoughts in young people has been attributed to their use of social media. 

Children and adolescents are simply not ready or prepared to handle the myriad challenges that come with having an Instagram account because they lack the developed understanding of privacy and are not yet equipped to determine what content to share on these platforms

Children under 13 may also not understand the permanency of the content they do share online.”

On top of these politicians, the nonprofit organization called Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood also told Zuckerberg he needs to dump this idea pronto. 

So far Facebook hasn’t agreed, and issued a statement Monday sayin they are exploring ways to give parents more control with it. They also added “We also look forward to working with legislators and regulators, including the nation’s attorneys general.”

Seems like Zuck and company aren’t getting the point that the nation’s AG’s aren’t looking to work with Facebook on it. They want them to not release it.