Current:Home > FinanceInstagram Is Pausing Its Plan To Develop A Platform For Kids After Criticism -Thrive Capital Insights
Instagram Is Pausing Its Plan To Develop A Platform For Kids After Criticism
View
Date:2025-04-14 23:59:11
Facebook is putting a hold on the development of a kids' version of Instagram, geared toward children under 13, to address concerns that have been raised about the vulnerability of younger users.
"I still firmly believe that it's a good thing to build a version of Instagram that's designed to be safe for tweens, but we want to take the time to talk to parents and researchers and safety experts and get to more consensus about how to move forward," said Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, in an interview Monday on NBC's "Today" show.
The announcement follows a investigative series by The Wall Street Journal which reported that Facebook was aware that the use of Instagram by some teenage girls led to mental health issues and anxiety.
Yet the development of Instagram for a younger audience was met with broader opposition almost immediately.
Facebook announced the development of an Instagram Kids app in March, saying at the time that it was "exploring a parent-controlled experience." Two months later, a bipartisan group of 44 attorneys general wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, urging him to abandon the project, citing the well being of children.
They cited increased cyberbullying, possible vulnerability to online predators, and what they called Facebook's "checkered record" in protecting children on its platforms. Facebook faced similar criticism in 2017 when it launched the Messenger Kids app, touted as a way for children to chat with family members and friends approved by parents.
Josh Golin, executive director of children's digital advocacy group Fairplay, urged the company Monday to permanently pull the plug on the app.
"We urge Facebook to use this 'pause' to actually engage with the independent child development experts who understand how Instagram will undermine young children's wellbeing," he said in a prepared statement.
Mosseri maintained Monday that the company believes it's better for children under 13 to have a specific platform for age-appropriate content, and that other companies like TikTok and YouTube have app versions for that age group.
He said in a blog post that it's better to have a version of Instagram where parents can supervise and control their experience rather than relying on the company's ability to verify if kids are old enough to use the app.
Mosseri said that Instagram for kids is meant for those between the ages of 10 and 12, not younger. It will require parental permission to join, be ad free, and will include age-appropriate content and features. Parents will be able to supervise the time their children spend on the app, oversee who can message them, who can follow them and who they can follow.
While work is being paused on Instagram Kids, the company will be expanding opt-in parental supervision tools to teen accounts of those 13 and older. More details on these tools will be disclosed in the coming months, Mosseri said.
veryGood! (35868)
Related
- Eva Mendes Shares Message of Gratitude to Olympics for Keeping Her and Ryan Gosling's Kids Private
- A full-scale replica of Anne Frank’s hidden annex is heading to New York for an exhibition
- The Super Bowl will return to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2028
- Thanksgiving Grandma Wanda Dench Shares Breast Cancer Diagnosis
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- When do kids learn to read? Here's when you should be concerned.
- Republicans challenge more than 63,000 voters in Georgia, but few removed, AP finds
- Wreckage found, but still no sign of crew after Navy fighter jet crash in Washington state
- 'Meet me at the gate': Watch as widow scatters husband's ashes, BASE jumps into canyon
- McCormick and Casey disagree on abortion, guns and energy in their last debate
Ranking
- New Orleans mayor’s former bodyguard making first court appearance after July indictment
- Score Big With Extra 50% Off Madewell Sale Dresses: Grab $25 Styles While They Last!
- GHCOIN Trading Center: Future Prospects and Global Expansion Plans
- Supreme Court deciding if trucker can use racketeering law to sue CBD company after failed drug test
- Kehlani Responds to Hurtful Accusation She’s in a Cult
- Abortion isn’t on the ballot in California, but state candidates can’t stop talking about it
- Under $50 Perfumes That Actually Smell Really Good
- 'Diablo wind' in California could spark fires, lead to power shutdown for 30,000
Recommendation
Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
19 mayoral candidates compete to lead Portland, Oregon, in a race with homelessness at its heart
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword, Where's the Competition?
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword, A Sight to Behold (Freestyle)
Billy Bean was an LGBTQ advocate and one of baseball's great heroes
Davante Adams trade grades, winners, losers: Who won between Jets, Raiders?
Mortgage company will pay over $8M to resolve lending discrimination allegations
Mortgage company will pay over $8M to resolve lending discrimination allegations