Instagram co-founders Systrom and Krieger leave Facebook

In a move that seemingly echoes the earlier departure of WhatsApp co-counder Jan Koum, Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have announced their resignation from Facebook. First reported by The New York Times, the announcement was confirmed by Systrom in a blog post. While Koum reportedly left over apparent disagreements over user privacy and data-sharing, Systrom states they want to take time off “to explore our curiosity and creativity again.” Rumour has it though that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s meddling into how Instagram is run has resulted in the two leaving. But Systrom did not speak out about this in any way. Systrom wrote, “We remain excited for the future of Instagram and Facebook in the coming years as we transition from leaders to two users in a billion. We look forward to watching what these innovative and extraordinary companies do next.”

However, with Instagram being considered Facebook’s most successful acquisition, it seems Facebook is becoming increasingly reliant on Instagram to secure its future. It has been seen as a fast-growing and successful alternative to Facebook for teenage users who have become disillusioned by Facebook’s privacy violations and all the other issues the social network finds itself in, including crises surrounding election interference, fake news, and the perception that Facebook isn’t healthy for democracy or society. With its founders gone, it remains to be seen how independent Instagram will be from its parent company. And whether this would completely change how the app works.

Source: The Verge

Instagram pins blame on Apple for its anti-nudity stance

We’re sure you’ve heard of the #freethenipple movement on Instagram. It’s a protest against Instagram who quickly pulls down posts with women’s nipples (weirdly enough they don’t do it for the males, but that's a different discussion altogether). They take these down even if the shot isn’t pornographic. Why do they do that? According to Instagram CEO Kevyn Systrom, it’s because of Apple. It’s done order to keep their existing 12+ rating and get a wider audience. Only apps with 17+ rating get to show explicit content. It’s worth noting though that Twitter has tons of porn accounts and posts even with its 4+ year old rating and the app’s still on the App Store.

Source: Business Insider + Mic | Via: Engadget