Instagram plans to introduce a 'take a break' feature for teens

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Instagram's reputation had taken another dive recently when whistleblower Frances Haugen shared during a hearing at the US Congress that Facebook was aware its algorithms are destructive, leading children to harmful content and only taking out a fraction of the hate speech. In response to these issues, Facebook Global Affairs VP Nick Clegg promised Instagram would get a "take a break" feature to encourage teens to stop using the social network for a while. Clegg didn't say when the option would be ready, though. 

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Instagram rebrands IGTV to Instagram TV

Instagram

Instagram is throwing in the towel on IGTV. At least, it is when it comes to that branding. The company is now calling that effort Instagram TV. And it is getting rid of the exclusive IGTV video format. Videos posted to the main Instagram feed can now run up to 60 minutes. That time length was previously reserved for IGTV videos. And IGTV app is now called the Instagram TV app, and a company spokesperson said it would continue to be a "destination for people to visit with the intent of watching video."

Feed videos and IGTV videos will now be consolidated into Instagram TV. They will get a single tab on profile pages. Reels, or Instagram's take on TikTok, looks to be a separate thing still.

Source: The Verge

Facebook pauses work on Instagram Kids app

Facebook has announced it is "pausing" work on its Instagram Kids app amid intense scrutiny and criticism of the project. The company vowed it wanted to "work with parents, experts, and policymakers to demonstrate the value and need for this product." According to Instagram's team, they wanted to build an app that solves the issue of kids using Instagram without parental permission.

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Instagram to replace swipe up with link stickers

Instagram is getting rid of its swipe-up gesture by August 30. Swiping up when viewing stories is how Instagram employs its click-through command. For content creators and businesses, it's a way for them to promote a product or share a story, live stream, and more.

Instagram hasn't said exactly why it is getting rid of the feature, but the Facebook-owned company talks about other methods that will be useful for Instagram users. It says it wants to "streamline the stories creation experience" and give users more "creative control" since they can format the looks of stickers.

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