Facebook is developing a version of Instagram for children
(Adam Mosseri) Instagram President Adam Mosseri confirmed that a version of the popular photo-sharing app for kids under 13 is in development.
Mosseri said: The Facebook-owned company knows that many children want to use Instagram, but there is no detailed plan yet.
Mosseri added: Part of the solution is to create a copy of Instagram for young people or children where parents have transparency or control, and we are trying to explore this solution.
Current Instagram policy prohibits children under the age of 13 from using the platform.
Facebook spokesman Joe Osborne said: We're working on creating additional products - as we did with Messenger Kids - that are kid-friendly and parent-managed.
We are exploring bringing a parent-controlled experience to Instagram to help kids keep up with friends, discover new hobbies and interests, and more.
"The Youth Pillar project has been identified as a priority of the company," Vishal Shah, vice president of Instagram product, said via a message from an internal message board.
Instagram's community portfolio focuses on privacy and security issues to ensure the best possible experience for teens.
Mosseri is overseeing the project with Vice President Pavni Diwanji, who oversaw YouTube Kids while at Google.
Instagram posted a blog earlier this week describing its work to make the platform safe for its younger users, but it did not mention a new release for children under the age of 13.
And targeting products online to children under the age of 13 is fraught with privacy concerns and legal issues.
In September 2019, the Federal Trade Commission imposed a $ 170 million fine on Google for tracking children's viewing records to display ads on them via YouTube, a violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Musical.ly was fined $ 5.7 million for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act in February of 2019.
Facebook launched an ad-free version of its Messenger Kids chatting platform in 2017, which is intended for children between the ages of 6 and 12.
A bug in Messenger Kids in 2019 allowed children to join groups with strangers, leaving thousands of children in conversations with unauthorized users.