Facebook Inc said on Monday it will suspend its version of the Instagram Kids app for children in order to re-evaluate and update it until the project meets users’ demands.
Moscow – Sputnik. The move follows a backlash from users and angry lawmakers from the company, following a controversial report in the Wall Street Journal that says Facebook is aware of the harmful impact Instagram is having on teens.
“We wanted to provide an update on our work to build the Instagram experience for people under the age of 13, often referred to as Instagram Kids. We started this project to address an important issue seen across our industry,” the company said in a statement.
She explained that the problem is that children get phones at a very young age, manipulate their age when registering, and download applications intended for those who are 13 or older, and while we adhere to the need to develop this experience, we have decided to temporarily stop this project.
During this period, Facebook plans to work with parents, experts, policy makers and regulators to identify their concerns about the application, the statement said, adding that the company will also expand its supervision tools that allow parents to supervise their children’s accounts on the application.
The Wall Street Journal cited Facebook studies over the past three years that examined the toxic effect of the popular photo app on underage users, with teenage girls hurting the most.
In particular, the research found that the app led to mental and health problems, such as eating disorders, among teens who spent hours looking at Instagram stories.