Facebook is "exploring" creating a version of Instagram meant for children under 13. While the company does not have a "detailed plan yet," it understands that there is a demand for such a platform as many kids under the age of 13 want to try out Instagram.
Instagram's policies currently prohibit children under the age of 13 from joining the photo-sharing service.
Instagram for Kids But With Parents in Full Control
BuzzFeed News first reported about Facebook working on a version of Instagram for kids. It saw a post from Instagram's vice president of product, Vishal Shah, on an internal employee message board saying the company has "identified youth work as a priority for Instagram and have added it to our H1 priority list."
Instagram's head Adam Mosseri also confirmed the development, saying many kids want to try out Instagram. The "part of the solution" here is to create a version of Instagram for kids with parents having full transparency or control over the accounts.
Instagram for kids is still in the early stages of development, and the company does not have a "detailed plan" for it yet.
A Facebook spokesperson also confirmed the development in an email to The Verge:
Right now there aren’t many options for parents, so we’re working on building additional products — like we did with Messenger Kids — that are suitable for kids, managed by parents. We’re exploring bringing a parent-controlled experience to Instagram to help kids keep up with their friends, discover new hobbies and interests, and more.
Back in 2017, Facebook launched Messenger for kids aimed at children between the age of six and 12. It requires parents to set up their kids' profiles, and Instagram may do something similar for the kids' version of its service.
Going by the comments made by Instagram's head, it is clear that while the company is working on a kids version of its service, its launch is still a few months away at the very earliest.
Instagram Becomes More Secure for Teens
Instagram has been trying to make its platform more secure for the younger generation. The company announced new security features to prevent adults from sliding into teenagers' DMs.
As part of the new security policy, Instagram will no longer allow adults to message teens that don't follow them. It will also stop suggesting teens' accounts in the Suggested Users list. Additionally, it will hide content made by teens from appearing in the Reels and Explore pages.