US politicians and advocacy groups have criticised the launch of Instagram Kids, which is still under development, for failing to live up to Facebook’s promise to “make meaningful commitments to protecting kids online”
Instagram, a Facebook-owned photo-sharing app, announced on Monday that work on a “Instagram Kids” version for children under the age of 13 has been put on hold.
The debut of “Instagram Kids” has been met with opposition from US politicians and advocacy groups, who have urged Facebook to drop its plans, stating that it has failed to “make meaningful commitments to protecting kids online.”
In a blog post, Instagram wrote, “We believe establishing ‘Instagram Kids’ is the correct thing to do, but we’re stopping the effort.” It said that it will continue to improve its parental monitoring features.
Instagram said in a blog post, “We believe building ‘Instagram Kids’ is the right thing to do, but we’re pausing the work,” adding that it will continue to improve its parental supervision tools.
“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.”
Earlier, a Facebook spokeswoman, said that the company had “just started exploring a version of Instagram for kids” and said it was committing “to not showing ads in any Instagram experience we develop for people under the age of 13”.
Facebook also stated that any future version 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”.