Facebook is putting a hold on the development of a kids’ version of Instagram, geared toward children under 13, to address concerns 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 an investigative series by The Wall Street Journal, which reported that Facebook was aware that using 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 result 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.
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 pull the plug on the app. .So did a group of Democratic members of Congress.
They cited increased cyberbullying, possible vulnerability to online predators. What they called Facebook’s “checkered record” in protecting children on its platforms.”Facebook is heeding our calls to stop plowing ahead with plans to launch a version of Instagram for kids,” tweeted Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey. “But a ‘pause’ is insufficient. Facebook must completely abandon this project.” The Senate had already planned a hearing Thursday with Facebook’s global safety head, Antigone Davis, to address what the company knows about how Instagram affects the mental health of younger users. Mosseri maintained Monday that the company believes children under 13 should have a specific platform for age-appropriate content. Other companies like TikTok and YouTube have app versions for that age group.
Mosseri said that Instagram fis meant for kidsbetween 10 and 12, not younger. It will require parental permission to join, be ad-free, and include age-appropriate content and features. Parents will supervise their children’s time on the app and oversee who can message them, who can follow them, and who they can follow. 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.
While work is paused on Instagram Kids, the company will expand opt-in parental supervision tools to teen accounts of those 13 and older. Mosseri said more details on these tools will be disclosed in the coming months. This isn’t the first time Facebook has received backlash for a product aimed at children. Child development experts urged the company to shut down its Messenger Kids app in 2018, saying it was not responding to a “need” as Facebook insisted but creating one instead.
