On Monday, Facebook suspended a new version of the Instagram application that it was working to create for children under the age of 13, in a move that comes amid growing opposition to the project.
Facebook has promoted the "Instagram Kids" app that allows children to use the app with parental permission in order to provide ad-free and child-friendly content, but US lawmakers have urged Facebook to abandon its plans to launch the app due to safety concerns.
The decision to temporarily suspend the “Instagram Kids” application comes as the company that owns the Instagram platform is grappling with the fallout from a series of investigations by the Wall Street Journal that revealed
that the company’s own research showed that it was aware of the damage Instagram could cause to girls’ mental health. Teenage girls, which the company later sought in a lengthy statement.
“We will not stop putting pressure on Facebook until they withdraw it permanently,” said Josh Golin, CEO of Fair Play, an advocacy group focused on children.
On the other hand, Instagram said in a post on its platform that building the “Instagram Kids” application is the right thing to do, but it will stop temporarily. "While we stand by the need to develop this experiment, we have decided to pause this project," the statement read.
"The reality is that children are already online, and we think developing age-appropriate experiences tailored to them is much better for parents than they are today," the app said.
The Wall Street Journal had a series of investigations into Facebook earlier this month, part of which focused on data suggesting that Instagram had a detrimental effect on teens, especially teenage girls, and that Facebook had made minimal efforts to address this is the problem.
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