Meta and TikTok Face Scrutiny Over Parent-Run Girl Influencer Accounts

Social Media Giants Questioned Over Exploitation of Young Girls on Their Platforms

Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire has called upon the CEOs of major social media companies, including TikTok, Meta, Snap, and Discord, to address the issue of young girls being exploited on their platforms. In a statement to The Zero Byte, Senator Hassan emphasized the need for these corporations to take responsibility and outline the steps they will take to ensure safe online environments for young women and girls.

“These corporations must answer for how they are allowing young women and girls to be exploited on their platforms and what steps they will take in response,” Senator Hassan, who represents New Hampshire, told The Zero Byte. “Young women should be able to express themselves online in safe environments that do not facilitate the monetization of potentially exploitative content.”

Parents Bypassing Age Restrictions and Monetizing Their Daughters’ Accounts

An investigation conducted by the Times revealed that parents can easily circumvent the age restrictions set by social platforms, which prohibit children under the age of 13 from creating accounts. Some parents use these accounts to monetize their daughters by turning them into influencers, securing discounts, sponsorship deals, or generating advertising revenue.

Disturbing Trend: Followers Seeking Suggestive Material of Young Girls

The investigation also uncovered a more alarming trend, where some of these accounts attracted money from individuals seeking sexual or suggestive content featuring young girls, including convicted sex offenders. These followers are sometimes willing to pay for additional photos beyond those shared on the girl’s social media account, private chats, or even used clothing. The Times reporters analyzed approximately 5,000 accounts of young girls managed by their parents.

Prevalence on Instagram and Lack of Accurate Data from X

While the Times investigation found instances of parents operating TikTok accounts for their daughters, the issue was most prevalent on Meta’s Instagram platform. X was not mentioned in the investigation, and the company claims that underage users make up less than 1% of its user base. However, The Zero Byte has previously reported that X may not have the necessary data to accurately make such a claim.

Senator Hassan’s Call for Action and Platform Responses

Senator Hassan expressed her concerns, stating, “After the disturbing revelations about predators interacting with the posts of minors and even buying their worn clothing, it continues to be clear that social media companies are failing to keep our children safe.”

Meta, TikTok, and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, in a statement to the Times regarding its earlier reporting, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone mentioned that the company prevents “accounts exhibiting potentially suspicious behavior from using our monetization tools, and we plan to limit such accounts from accessing subscription content,” but ultimately held parents responsible for the accounts.

Demands for Transparency and Active Measures

In letters sent to TikTok, X, and Meta, Senator Hassan is requesting the companies to disclose whether they were aware of parents circumventing age requirements, if accounts of young girls are being monetized or have ads placed on them by the platforms, and what active measures the companies have implemented to detect and address such accounts.

The platforms have been given until April 8 to provide their responses to Senator Hassan’s inquiries.