As kids are getting more and more into social media, tech companies are looking for solutions to meet the demand. TikTok was a huge hit among teenagers, but all the privacy issues with the app didn’t sit well with parents. Now, after releasing Messenger Kids, Facebook is working on a version of Instagram for kids under 13.
Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram says: “Kids are increasingly asking their parents if they can join apps that help them keep up with their friends. A version of Instagram where parents have control like we did w/ Messenger Kids, is something we’re exploring. We’ll share more down the road.”
The current version of Instagram only allows kids over the age of 13 to join. According to BuzzFeed, Instagram vice president of product Vishal Shah said a “youth pillar” project has been identified as a priority by the company. Its Community Product Group will focus on privacy and safety issues “to ensure the safest possible experience for teens.”
The Instagram Kids project will be overseen by Adam Mosseri and vice president Pavni Diwanji, who oversaw YouTube Kids while she was at Google.
Earlier this week, Instagram did announce in a blog post that it’s working on making the platform safer for kids, but with no mention of an Instagram Kids app.
Creating software for kids has proven to be tricky in the past, not only because of privacy concerns but also legal issues. The Federal Commission fined Google $170 million for tracking the viewing histories of children to serve ads to them on YouTube, back in 2019. Musical.ly, the precursor of TikTok, was also fined $5.7 million for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, in February of 2019.
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