Instagram has decided to push the
brakes on the development of an Instagram designed for kids. The idea was to
create an app which could be used by children who are below 13 years of age in
order to address the concerns surrounding access and content. 

The app meant for tweens between 10 –
12 years of age received a lot of backlash from the general public and the
lawmakers alike.

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The announcement comes after an
explosive report on the Wall Street Journal. It revealed that Facebook chose to go ahead with the development of this app in spite of being aware of the
effect these apps have on the mental health of young users. 

The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri
wrote in a blog post on Monday that a delay in the project will allow the
company to “work with parents, experts, policymakers and regulators, to listen
to their concerns, and to demonstrate the value and importance of this project
for younger teens online today.”

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The development of Instagram for kids was
announced in March. Mosseri stated that the company believes it would be better
for children of the said age group to view content that is age-appropriate and
tailored for them. YouTube and TikTok are two other platforms that have apps
designed specifically for kids.

The decision was met with immediate
backlash and 44 attorney generals wrote to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of
Facebook. They asked him to abandon the project and show concern for the well-being
of children. The company has repeatedly defended their effort of trying to draw
more kids to their platform.

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Mosseri explained that the app would
not be for users below 10 years of age, require parental permission to join, be
ad free and consist of age-appropriate content amongst several other features.

He defended the idea by saying, “Critics of ‘Instagram Kids’ will see this as an
acknowledgment that the project is a bad idea. That’s not the case. 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,” 

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With the project being postponed indefinitely, Instagram
will now be focusing on adding parental control to the accounts of teenagers
which would help the parents to shape their kids’ experience on the platform.