Instagram is developing new tools to make the site a more secure environment for its younger users. Instagram will soon roll out a new feature that will advise teens to keep a safe distance from hazardous content and encourage them to “take a vacation” from the photo-sharing app altogether.
Nick Clegg, Facebook’s vice president of global affairs, made the announcement on the new features. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg made the statement immediately after an ex-Facebook employee turned whistleblower made startling accusations about Facebook hurting teenage users through its Instagram platform.
When asked about the features, Clegg said at CNN’s State of the Union: “We’re going to introduce something that I believe will make a significant difference, which is that when our systems detect that a teenager is viewing the same content repeatedly, and it’s content that may not be conducive to their well-being, we will nudge them to look at other content.”
He also stated that the business is working on a tool that would ask teens to just take a vacation from the site, which is currently in development. Clegg, on the other hand, did not specify when the additional features will be implemented.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has previously stated that the company was working on a “take a break” function. “We’re encouraging people to look at other topics if they’re dwelling on content that might contribute to negative social comparison, and we’re working on a feature tentatively titled “Take a Break,” which would allow people to put their accounts on hold and take a moment to consider whether the time they’re spending is meaningful,” he had previously stated.
Francis Haugen, a former Facebook employee who has turned whistleblower, has testified before a Senate committee about her experience on the social media platform, and she has also called on Congress to take strict action against the company for allegedly creating a toxic environment for teens on Instagram.
In her complaint, she claimed that Facebook was aware of the negative impacts of Instagram on teenagers but did nothing to address the problem.
Instagram recently scrapped its plans to create Instagram Kids, a service for users under the age of 13, after receiving a barrage of negative feedback from child safety activists.
