Despite pressure from lawmakers to abandon the plan, Facebook has confirmed its commitment to create Instagram for children under the age of 13, while also introducing additional upgrades to tackle concern for the safety of young people on its platforms.
As part of its attempts to “remove the incentive for people under the age of 13 to lie about their age,” the company stated in a blog post that it is building “a new Instagram experience for tweens” supervised by parents and guardians.
Marketers can no longer target young users based on their Facebook, Instagram, or Messenger interests or activities.
Facebook has also stated that it intends to utilize artificial intelligence to verify the age of its users and delete accounts that are under the age of 18. For example, the tool would be able to search for terms in Instagram posts, such as a happy birthday greeting, and compare them to the user’s Facebook birth date.
Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said that he anticipated the company’s Instagram for Kids efforts would “get a lot of criticism,” but that it was “the right thing to do, so we gotta do it.”
In addition, Facebook stated that it intends to collaborate with lawmakers, elected officials, and child development and safety specialists on its numerous initiatives.
