Facebook to develop a version of Instagram for children under 13

Facebook is developing a version of Instagram for kids under the age of 13 — the latest attempt by the tech giant to get their products into the hands of a new generation.

The new offering was announced internally to Facebook employees Thursday, Bloomberg reported.

Instagram was acquired by Facebook for $ 1 billion almost a decade ago and since then become one of the world’s most popular social media networks.

“Right now there aren’t many options for parents, so we’re working on building additional products — like we did with Messenger Kids — that are suitable for kids, managed by parents.”

Messenger Kids — a partner product to Facebook Messenger — was released in 2017 as a way for parents to maintain greater control over who their child talks to.

“We’re exploring bringing a parent-controlled experience to Instagram to help kids keep up with their friends, discover new hobbies and interests, and more,” Instagram later announced in a blog post.

“Protecting young people on Instagram is important to us. We want parents to have the information to help their teens have a safe and positive experience on Instagram.”

The news was greeted with negative reviews as some felt that the app would violate children’s privacy and diminish the child’s mental health.

Category: Technology

Source: New York Post