Facebook working on Instagram for kids under 13
Would have parental controls
Facebook says it is working on a version of its Instagram app for kids under 13, who are technically not allowed to use the app in its current form due to federal privacy regulations.
The company confirmed the report by Buzzfeed News, saying it is “exploring a parent-controlled experience” on Instagram.
The move comes after Facebook announced a slew of new measures intended to keep teenagers safe on Instagram — but that announcement made no mention of the plan to build an Instagram for kids.
Critics raised concerns immediately, saying a kidfriendly Instagram is just a way for Facebook to expand its user base and condition children into using its products so it can later make money off of them.
“Facebook poses one of the biggest threats when it comes to children’s privacy,” said Rasha Abdul-Rahim, co-director of Amnesty Tech, an arm of the nonprofit Amnesty International. “Increasing safeguards for children online is paramount, but the fact remains that Facebook will be harvesting children’s data and profiting off their detailed profiles.”
Facebook launched the Messenger Kids app in 2017, pitching it as a way for children to chat with family members and friends approved by parents. The app works as an extension of a parent’s account, and parents get controls, such as the ability to decide who their kids can chat with. But many child-development experts urged the company to pull it, saying kids don’t need to be on social media.