Earlier last year, Instagram was reported to have been planning to release a version which was supposed to be used by children under 13 years old. Soon after the news was announced there was a big wave of dissatisfaction especially from parents. As a consequence, in September last year Instagram was forced to stop working on its kids version.
However, no one said that the company has put an end to the project.
On February 8, 2022 Fairplay sent a letter to Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg by more than 75 religious leaders who insist on a complete termination of Instagram’s kids version project. The letter says:
“A pause is not enough. Instagram poses a danger to young children, as your own research indicates. Plans for Instagram must end permanently.”
Children’s safety, especially on the internet, is a priority for every parent. Maybe that’s the reason for an Instagram post, published in March 2021 which provides more information for parents about their kids’ privacy and security in the app.
According to the publication the company is already trying to figure out how to verify childrens’ actual age as there are many kids who lie about it. The company revealed that it works on AI technology and machine learning which are supposed to keep teens safe and apply new age-appropriate features.