WASHINGTON: Facebook drew outrage for its now paused plans for an Instagram app for kids aged 12 and under. But 13-year-olds are already welcome on social media with few protections and sometimes tragic effects, experts and parents said.
That’s because 13 effectively serves as the age of majority online under a two-decade-old law, and is the minimum set by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat — all of which are massively popular among children.
Josh Golin at advocacy Fairplay said the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) intended to protect the privacy of kids aged…
