Instagram has come under fire after a recently published report by The Wall Street Journal hinted that the company maybe ignoring internal research. The research suggests that the social media platform could actually have a negative impact on teenage girls. According to the report, the company has been well aware of the damning effect that Instagram has on their users. However, the company and its representatives have actively downplayed them. Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, has publicly lauded the research and called for the platform to embrace its wider responsibility.
That said, it looks like that isn’t enough. Just today, Mosseri posted a public announcement regarding the status of Instagram Kids. The new platform, which has been in development for a while now, but was brought to light only earlier in March. With his post, Adam Mosseri announced that development for the platform has been put on ice. That said, he still stood by the decision to develop Instagram Kids.
“I still strongly believe that it is the right thing to do. It has to be better to give parents the option to give their tweens a version of Instagram that was designed with them in mind. That was designed to be safe for those between 10 and 12. One where there are no ads; where there are parental controls; where there is age appropriate content; where they can supervise and shape the experience in meaningful ways…”
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram
The company is taking the pause in development to better communicate and discuss the platform with stakeholders. Adam Mosseri highlighted that they will use the time to speak to experts, parents and researchers in an effort to better gear Instagram Kids to protect children. In fact, he mentions that some of the features and enhancements that were being developed for kids may find their way to the Instagram app to better allow parents to curate their teenager’s Instagram experience. The company has also issued an official statement addressing the issue.
That said, since their announcement, Facebook has come under fire from U.S. lawmakers. These lawmakers are calling for them to drop the matter entirely. In their statement, they are asseting that “Facebook has completely forfeited the benefit of the doubt when it comes to protecting young people online and it must completely abandon this project.”
That said, the company’s woes with Instagram Kids is only the latest in Facebook’s encounters with leglislation. Facebook has recently come under fire for data privacy issues and even anticompetitive behaviours as world governments struggle to leglislate Big Tech.