In the long run, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri feels that developing the Kids edition "is the correct thing to do."
Instagram has put the development of Instagram Kids, a specialized service for kids, on hold in order to focus on parental control features. It also plans to use the break to persuade the rest of the world that an Instagram app for kids is a good and essential thing.
Buzzfeed was the first to disclose in March that Instagram was working on a separate app for youngsters. When Instagram announced the service, it was met with indignation from human rights organizations, as well as bullying and mental health organizations, all of which were concerned about the consequences of allowing younger children access to social media. The Wall Street Journal's recent story prompted worries that Facebook's own study revealed Instagram to be harmful to teenagers, adding to the pressure on the corporation.
Despite the fact that Instagram's work on a kids app has been put on hold for the time being, it's probable that one will be released in the future.
In a blog post published Monday, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri stated that creating Instagram Kids is still the "correct thing to do." Because youngsters are already online and misrepresenting their age to gain access to Instagram (which is only available to those aged 13 and up), he believes it is ideal for children aged 10 to 12 to have an age-appropriate service devoted to them. Instagram Kids, he noted, will not be meant to look like the adult version of the app, but rather to be ad-free and managed by parents.
"We don't want this version to be the same as Instagram today," Mosseri explained. "Parents can monitor how much time their children spend on the app and control who may message them, follow them, and be followed by them."
Mosseri further on why Instagram opted to postpone the project in a follow-up tweet. He claims that Instagram Kids was leaked before the business was ready for it to be made public, implying that Instagram wasn't prepared to address concerns or alleviate people's anxieties. Following the outpouring of concern prompted by The Wall Street Journal's story, he continued, it was apparent that the firm needed to spend more time on it.
(Earlier on Monday, Facebook rebutted the Journal's reports in a separate blog post, claiming that its results were misinterpreted and distorted.)
Critics of Instagram Kids should not interpret the initiative's suspension as "an acknowledgment that the product is a terrible concept," according to Mosseri. Instead, the business wants to collaborate with parents, professionals, and politicians to demonstrate the "value and necessity" for Instagram Kids, as well as continue to develop opt-in adolescent monitoring options (aged 13 and over). He added, "I hear the worries about this project, and we're announcing these actions today so we can do it right."