Facebook is taking the criticism to heart, as it today announced that it is “pausing” the development of Instagram Kids.
However, the announcement brought swift condemnation from parents, privacy groups, and government officials (among others). Facebook is taking that criticism to heart, as it today announced that it is “pausing” the development of Instagram Kids. According to the company, it initiated the Instagram Kids initiative because “We firmly believe that it’s better for parents to have the option to give their children access to a version of Instagram that is designed for them — where parents can supervise and control their experience — than relying on an app’s ability to verify the age of kids who are too young to have an ID.” The public backlash against the app, which many felt was unnecessary and exploitive of children, led Facebook to rethink its deployment strategy. Instead, it will continue to field feedback from “experts, policymakers, and regulators” to cater to and protect children online.
