Over the past few years, Instagram has become an integral part of our lives. Now Facebook is working on an Instagram for Kids. The new version of the app will focus on the younger audience and include extra safety features. Buzzfeed has obtained Instagram’s internal post about catering to children under the age of 13. As of now, Instagram doesnt allow children under the age of 13 to signup.

The company’s vice president Vishal Shah said, “I’m excited to announce that in the future, we have identified youth work as a priority for Instagram and have added it to our H1 priority list.” He further added, “We will be building a new youth pillar within the Community Product Group to focus on two things: (a) accelerating our integrity and privacy work to ensure the safest possible experience for teens and (b) building a version of Instagram that allows people under the age of 13 to safely use Instagram for the first time.”

Kids are increasingly asking their parents if they can join apps that help them keep up with their friends. A version of Instagram where parents have control, like we did w/ Messenger Kids, is something we’re exploring. We’ll share more down the road.

— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) March 18, 2021

The internal document mentions that Instagram Kids will be headed by Pavni Diwanji, an ex-Google employee who worked on YouTube Kids. Just recently, Instagram announced its plans to tackle abuse, bullying, or predation faced by the teens on the app.

Mosseri says, “Kids are increasingly asking their parents if they can join apps that help them keep up with their friends.” Furthermore, he assures that the app will offer greater control for parents, similar to Messenger Kids. It is common for kids to lie about their age while signing up for Instagram. Even the company knows this and is working on a new form for age verification.

Our Take

Instagram is generally not considered safe for kids. Institutes dealing with Childs mental health have blamed the app for causing loneliness, anxiety, and inferiority complex. Wired previously reported how a bug in Messenger Kids allowed children to join groups with strangers. Lastly, we wonder the kind of effect Instagram advertising will have on kids.

How do you feel about your kids using Instagram? Let us know in the comments below.