Facebook working on an Instagram app for kids under 13

Facebook Inc. is working on a version of Instagram for kids under the age of 13. The social media giant is building a version of the photo-sharing app tending to get its popular products to the next generation of internet users.

Instagram announced the new app internally on Thursday, March 18, but has not launched it yet, BuzzFeed News reported.

As per the current policies of the photo-sharing platform, users under the age of 13 are prohibited from using the app, although a parent or manager can operate an account on their behalf.

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Instagram, which was acquired by Facebook in a $1 billion deal in 2012, has become one of the most popular products at a time when its main social networking platform has failed to strike a chord with some younger users.

"Increasingly kids are asking their parents if they can join apps that help them keep up with their friends," Joe Osborne, a Facebook spokesman, said in a statement.

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"Right now, there aren't many options for parents, so we're working on building additional products -- like we did with Messenger Kids -- that are suitable for kids, managed by parents. 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," he added.

Messenger Kids is a version of Facebook's messaging application for pre-teens. It comprises several parental controls, however, a glitch earlier let some children chat with people their parents did not approve of. The episode triggered concerns from regulators that it did not protect kids appropriately.