Instagram hits pause on kids version of app following criticism

Photo sharing app Instagram on Monday said it is pausing work on a version for children younger than 13, called "Instagram Kids".

"We believe building Instagram Kids is the right thing to do, but we're pausing the work," Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, said in a blog post.



US lawmakers and advocacy groups have opposed the launch of "Instagram Kids", urging the social media giant to drop its plans and stating that it had failed to "make meaningful commitments to protecting kids online."

“While we stand by the need to develop this experience, we’ve decided to pause this project. This will give us time to work with parents, experts, policymakers and regulators, to listen to their concerns, and to demonstrate the value and importance of this project for younger teens online today,” Mosseri said.

The Facebook-owned photo sharing app said it would continue to work on parental-supervised experiences for younger internet users.

"An important part of what we’ve been developing for “Instagram Kids” is a way for parents to supervise their child’s use of Instagram," he added.

Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook has repeatedly found that its Instagram app is harmful to a number of teenagers.

With inputs from Reuters.