https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/27/instagram-puts-kids-version-on-ice-after-critical-backlash/

The head of Instagram has just announced that it’s “pausing” a planned version of the social media software aimed at under 13 year olds. The development comes hard of the heels of critical reporting in the Wall Street Journal which unearthed internal documents that suggest the Facebook-owned company was aware the social media service caused anxiety and mental health issues in teenaged girls.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri references the WSJ report in a Twitter thread today — but he tries to play down the impact of the investigative journalism, seeking to re-spin the ‘pause’ as intentional and thoughtful as opposed to a panicked reaction to extremely negative revelations about the impact of the service on the mental health of young girls.