Facebook pauses work on Instagram Kids app

Facebook has announced it is "pausing" work on its Instagram Kids app amid intense scrutiny and criticism of the project. The company vowed it wanted to "work with parents, experts, and policymakers to demonstrate the value and need for this product." According to Instagram's team, they wanted to build an app that solves the issue of kids using Instagram without parental permission.

"We started this project to address an important problem seen across our industry: kids are getting phones younger and younger, misrepresenting their age, and downloading apps that are meant for those 13 or older," wrote Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri. 

The company doesn't see this action as capitulating because of criticism. "Critics of 'Instagram Kids' will see this as an acknowledgement that the project is a bad idea. That's not the case," Mosseri wrote. "The reality is that kids are already online, and we believe that developing age-appropriate experiences designed specifically for them is far better for parents than where we are today."

Some of the issues raised about this project revolved around Facebook's problems with privacy, particularly child safety.

Source: Engadget