By Alex Sprouls ’19

Instagram co-founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, are leaving the company after eight years and clashes with Facebook’s management team since it became the parent company in 2012.

“I don’t expect many good changes [to Instagram] since I feel like Facebook hasn’t created anything that could better reach a younger audience or come out with anything particularly exciting recently,” Teddy O’Kane ’20 said.

Facebook’s team changed aspects of Instagram against the wishes of Systrom and Krieger such as adding a three-line menu on the app.

“We’re planning on leaving Instagram to explore our curiosity and creativity again,” Systrom said in a statement released by Instagram on Sept. 24.

Since its acquisition by Facebook, Instagram has grown from 50 million users to one billion monthly users according to Statista.

Facebook hasn’t experienced as much success as it has in the past with a decrease in users as well as problems concerning the security of users’ data and foreign interference with its network.

“None of my friends really use Facebook anymore,” Isabel Handa ’19 said. “Younger kids, especially in elementary and middle school don’t have Facebook but the majority have Instagram.”

According to Kevin Wharton, professor of legal studies and business ethics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the two social media networks might combine in more ways than linking an Instagram picture to Facebook, which can be done currently.

“I think Instagram is… going to essentially converge with Facebook,” Wharton said in a podcast.

In April, WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum similarly resigned after disagreements with Facebook ownership concerning privacy issues of users.

Photo provided by Flickr