CT Senator Goes Viral for Asking Facebook to Commit to 'Ending Finsta'

A U.S. Senator is going viral for his misunderstanding of finstas, otherwise known as “fake Instagrams” or secondary private Instagram accounts.

Facebook’s global head of safety Antigone Davis appeared for a congressional hearing on Thursday (September 30) following reports from The Wall Street Journal alleging that the company was aware Instagram is “toxic” for teen girls.

Click inside to read more…

During the hearing, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) asked her about “finstas,” a slang term used to describe secondary accounts, usually used to post spam like memes, bad selfies and inside jokes.

“Will you commit to ending finsta?” he asked.

“Finstas are not something that we built,” she responded, as she went on to explain what a finsta account is to the Senator.

Blumenthal then responded: “Well, finsta is one of your products or services,” to which she replied to clarify that it’s just “slang for a type of account.”

Blumenthal asked if she would then commit to ending “that type of account,” which she said she was confused about “exactly what you’re asking.”

The clip soon made its way to social media, where users mocked the Senator’s misunderstanding of what a finsta account actually is.

Earlier in the week, Facebook announced that it is halting plans for Instagram Kids amid backlash.