Instagram Kids App for Children Under 13 Paused After Criticism

Instagram is pausing work on a model for kids youthful than 13, known as “Instagram Kids”, the Facebook-owned photograph sharing app stated on Monday.

US lawmakers and advocacy teams have opposed the launch of “Instagram Kids”, urging the social media large to drop its plans and stating that it had didn’t “make meaningful commitments to protecting kids online.”

“We believe building ‘Instagram Kids’ is the right thing to do, but we’re pausing the work,” Instagram stated in a blog post, including it will proceed constructing on its parental supervision instruments.

“The reality is that kids are already online, and we believe that developing age-appropriate experiences designed specifically for them is far better for parents than where we are today.”

A gaggle of 40 state lawyer generals in May this yr had urged Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to desert plans to launch a model of Instagram for kids below the age of 13.

“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,” the officers stated in a letter.

“Further, Facebook has historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms,” they stated.
A Facebook spokesman had stated the corporate had “just started exploring a version of Instagram for kids” and stated it was committing “to not showing ads in any Instagram experience we develop for people under the age of 13”.

The firm had additionally stated it agreed that any model of the photo-sharing app Instagram “must prioritise their safety and privacy, and we will consult with experts in child development, child safety, and mental health, and privacy advocates to inform it”.

© Thomson Reuters 2021