Instagram For Kids? Facebook Said To Be Eyeing The Untapped Pre-Teen Market

Facebook Inc’s FB social media app Instagram is close to revealing a new version of its photo-sharing tool targeted specifically for children under the age of 13 as it aims to woo the younger generation to try out its popular products, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

What Happened: Social media giant has announced details internally but not launched the product yet. Instagram currently requires that users must be at least 13 years old. The development comes two days after Instagram started restricting direct messages between teens and adults they don’t follow.

Facebook bought Instagram almost a decade ago for $1 billion. It has become one of its most popular products at a time when its main social networking property has failed to resonate with some younger users.

Why It Matters: Most social media apps such as microblogging site Twitter Inc TWTR, Facebook’s Whatsapp, and ByteDance-owned TikTok and others, are meant for adults or teens and there’s no control if children have access to it. 

“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,” Joe Osborne, a Facebook spokesman, said in a statement.
Mark Zuckerberg-led Facebook also tried out Messenger Kids, a version aimed at pre-teens. That app includes a number of parental controls, but a flaw previously allowed some kids to chat with people their parents had not approved, Bloomberg previously reported.

Price Action: Facebook shares rose marginally to $279.25 in the after-hours trading.

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