Social media and kids safety has always been an issue, and Facebook’s photo-sharing platform Instagram has been no exception. Right after announcing a slew of features to protect teens on the platform, Instagram is planning to build an entirely different kid-friendly alternative.
On an internal note, Instagram’s VP for product, Vishal Shah, termed building such an alternative a high priority for them, BuzzFeed News reported.
“I’m excited to announce that going forward, we have identified youth work as a priority for Instagram and have added it to our H1 priority list.”
“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.”
Currently, Instagram is open to kids ages 13 or over, and safety has been a significant concern.
Instagram has borrowed notes from TikTok, which has been on the forefront to ensure a safe experience for kids after paying millions of dollars in fines on how it handled minors in the past.
Last week, Instagram announced several features to provide a haven for kids. Among other things, Instagram said it would restrict interaction between teens and suspecting adults, including preventing them from DM’ing kids.
The app is also working to help identify the real age of users using artificial intelligence and machine learning technology.
Launching a kid-focused version will help solve most of the problems affecting child safety on the platform, which adults usually cause.
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