Sueing Instagram?

[Wildswanderer]

So I've been hearing these ads on the radio: "you might be entitled to compensation if your son or daughter has an eating disorder because of Instagram."

At first I thought it might be a joke, but no, people are literally suing Instagram because they cannot control themselves. Instagram is "forcing" them to eat incorrectly so they can show their bodies off.
We have really reached the ultimate in not taking personal responsibility.

 

[Debater Slayer]

For reference:

Instagram promoted pages glorifying eating disorders to teen accounts | CNN Business

In my opinion, parents should be mindful of what their kids view online and properly educate them about these topics. A parent shouldn't let a kid browse their phone 24/7 without any monitoring and then sue Instagram for the parents' own lack of vigilance.

 

[Twilight Hue]

So I've been hearing these ads on the radio: "you might be entitled to compensation if your son or daughter has an eating disorder because of Instagram."

At first I thought it might be a joke, but no, people are literally suing Instagram because they cannot control themselves. Instagram is "forcing" them to eat incorrectly so they can show their bodies off.
We have really reached the ultimate in not taking personal responsibility.

I hate litigation lawyers like that. They have been proactively destroying this country ever since the advertising rules changed.

 

[VoidCat]

For reference:

Instagram promoted pages glorifying eating disorders to teen accounts | CNN Business

In my opinion, parents should be mindful of what their kids view online and properly educate them about these topics. A parent shouldn't let a kid browse their phone 24/7 without any monitoring and then sue Instagram for the parents' own lack of vigilance.

I haven't read the article yet bit busy at the moment but if Instagram is promoting eating disorders though allowing posts glorifying them then that is different then just encouraging weight loss right? The platform should then be held accountable. Not sure if suing is the right way. But it's like videos glorifying cutting if they had those videos the platform should be held accountable for promoting harmful mental health practices. I will read the article later

 

[Debater Slayer]

I haven't read the article yet bit busy at the moment but if Instagram is promoting eating disorders though allowing posts glorifying them then that is different then just encouraging weight loss right? The platform should then be held accountable. Not sure if suing is the right way. But it's like videos glorifying cutting if they had those videos the platform should be held accountable for promoting harmful mental health practices. I will read the article later

The platform should be held accountable for promoting any illegal content, but I'm not sure whether it's illegal to promote poor dieting habits. It's quite irresponsible at best, to be sure, but being irresponsible by itself isn't necessarily grounds for a lawsuit.

 

[VoidCat]

The platform should be held accountable for promoting any illegal content, but I'm not sure whether it's illegal to promote poor dieting habits. It's quite irresponsible at best, to be sure, but being irresponsible by itself isn't necessarily grounds for a lawsuit.

That's why i said im not sure suing is the right way to go about it but they need to be held accountable in some way. Im not saying through the legal system. Altho i will say maybe it would fall under one of them laws that involves putting folk in danger by promoting dangerous activities(I cant think of the correct legal term).

Edit:And im not thinking of poor diet habits im thinking of folk like the pro ana groups

 

[Wildswanderer]

I think this is a very slippery slope. I bet Instagram promotes extreme sports too. People die in extreme sports. If we going to start regulating content about anything that anyone might call unhealthy there's no end that road.
No one is making anyone post anything on Instagram.

 

[Nakosis]

So I've been hearing these ads on the radio: "you might be entitled to compensation if your son or daughter has an eating disorder because of Instagram."

At first I thought it might be a joke, but no, people are literally suing Instagram because they cannot control themselves. Instagram is "forcing" them to eat incorrectly so they can show their bodies off.
We have really reached the ultimate in not taking personal responsibility.

Unless Instagram itself is creating the content of the message, I would no more Instagram than I would sue the telephone company for providing service to the conman who sold oceanfront property to grandma. They are simple providing a communication service. And while perhaps they can try to police any illegal activity, it is impossible to prevent it all. They should notify users upfront they can't prevent all illegal activity. If they haven't done this, yeah maybe you can sue them for being stupid.

Also make it a requirement that parents of minors agree to be responsible for the activities of their children on their platform. I mean who is really at fault here? The communication provider or the parents?

So parents failed in their duty to protect their kids and are looking for someone else to blame.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

The platform should be held accountable for promoting any illegal content, but I'm not sure whether it's illegal to promote poor dieting habits. It's quite irresponsible at best, to be sure, but being irresponsible by itself isn't necessarily grounds for a lawsuit.

I would imagine it could be covered under illicit or malpractice medical advise without a license.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

So I've been hearing these ads on the radio: "you might be entitled to compensation if your son or daughter has an eating disorder because of Instagram."

At first I thought it might be a joke, but no, people are literally suing Instagram because they cannot control themselves. Instagram is "forcing" them to eat incorrectly so they can show their bodies off.
We have really reached the ultimate in not taking personal responsibility.

Just remember this, I'm a Satanist but I'm not making a moral judgement against them and more sympathetic towards what it means to be human.

 

[Curious George]

The platform should be held accountable for promoting any illegal content, but I'm not sure whether it's illegal to promote poor dieting habits. It's quite irresponsible at best, to be sure, but being irresponsible by itself isn't necessarily grounds for a lawsuit.

I don’t think it is quite so simple. Does instagram have a duty to its minor clients? Was that duty breached? Did the minor clients suffer injury because of that breach?

 

[VoidCat]

I think this is a very slippery slope. I bet Instagram promotes extreme sports too. People die in extreme sports. If we going to start regulating content about anything that anyone might call unhealthy there's no end that road.
No one is making anyone post anything on Instagram.

Ah but difference is extreme sports isn't health advice. Proana and pro self harm groups are giving harmful mental health advice that goes against what medical professionals advise. Advise that could cause folk to die. And advice that goes against their terms of service if I recall correctly. Im not saying instagram should be sued. But they shouldnt allow it on their platform especially if it's against their own rules and they promote it

For reference:

Instagram promoted pages glorifying eating disorders to teen accounts | CNN Business

In my opinion, parents should be mindful of what their kids view online and properly educate them about these topics. A parent shouldn't let a kid browse their phone 24/7 without any monitoring and then sue Instagram for the parents' own lack of vigilance.

Now imma read your article see if it's pro Ana content we talking about or just extreme dieting fads

 

[Wildswanderer]

Ah but difference is extreme sports isn't health advice. Proana and pro self harm groups are giving harmful mental health advice that goes against what medical professionals advise. Advise that could cause folk to die.

Um... yeah that same thing applies to jumping off cliffs with a wingsuit.

 

[VoidCat]

Now imma read your article see if it's pro Ana content we talking about or just extreme dieting fads

Seems to be a mix of both. Instagram should really be doing something about this if they care at all about the safety of folk on the platform. Giving unhealthy medical advice is not a good thing. Im not saying they should be sued but they need to do something and be held accountable.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I don’t think it is quite so simple. Does instagram have a duty to its minor clients? Was that duty breached? Did the minor clients suffer injury because of that breach?

Those are very difficult questions to answer. How much of Instagram's resources do they need to use in policing themselves? There are so many accounts out there that it is dubious that they can do so in a meaningful way. To me it seems that they would have to rely on people reporting such sites. And we all know how hard it is to evade those strenuous blocking devices that porn sites use:

Oh drat!! I am too young to see it. What can I do?

Though no Instagram fan I do worry about how this sort of lawsuit can affect internet usage in general.

 

[VoidCat]

Um... yeah that same thing applies to jumping off cliffs with a wingsuit.

I didnt say they should be sued. Just they need to held accountable. What id like instagram to do is ban folk violating their service terms who promote self harm and pro Ana content. I dont know if youve seen the harm pro Ana and pro self harm groups can cause. Been there done that had that tshirt.

Edit: im not talking about extreme dieting when it comes to pro ana content. That's a separate issue. Im talking about groups that think anorexia is ok and folk should strive for it

 

[Wildswanderer]

Giving unhealthy medical advice is not a good thing.

Can you say " thought police?"

What if I consider certain herbs healthy because they work? But officially they aren't considered by the CDC or whoever as " safe"?
What you end up with is a culture where free speech is removed from anyone using any kind of alternative medicine.

 

[VoidCat]

Found it right here in the terms of service:
Help Center

Maintain our supportive environment by not glorifying self-injury.
The Instagram community cares for each other, and is often a place where people facing difficult issues such as eating disorders, cutting, or other kinds of self-injury come together to create awareness or find support. We try to do our part by providing education in the app and adding information in the Help Center so people can get the help they need.

Encouraging or urging people to embrace self-injury is counter to this environment of support, and we’ll remove it or disable accounts if it’s reported to us. We may also remove content identifying victims or survivors of self-injury if the content targets them for attack or humor.

If you click on the link it has on the page for self injury it says the following:

We define self-injury as the intentional and direct injuring of the body, including self-mutilation and eating disorders. We remove any content that encourages suicide or self-injury, including fictional content such as memes or illustrations and any self-injury content which is graphic, regardless of context. We also remove content that identifies and negatively targets victims or survivors of suicide or self-injury seriously, humorously or rhetorically, as well as real time depictions of suicide or self-injury. Content about recovery of suicide or self-harm that is allowed, but may contain imagery that could be upsetting, such as a healed scar, is placed behind a sensitivity screen.

Edit: forgot to include the link for if you click on self injury:
Suicide and Self Injury | Transparency Center

 

[VoidCat]

Can you say " thought police?"

What if I consider certain herbs healthy because they work? But officially they aren't considered by the CDC or whoever as " safe"?
What you end up with is a culture where free speech is removed from anyone using any kind of alternative medicine.

im talking about them enforcing their terms of service. And not promoting harmful content that they themselves say they wouldn't.

 

[VoidCat]

im talking about them enforcing their terms of service. And not promoting harmful content that they themselves say they wouldn't.

If it was other types of misinformation regarding health that's different. But they specifically say they wont allow pro Ana content. Therefore they should be held accountable