MUMBAI: There's trouble brewing at the Facebook group. Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom, the co-founders of the photo-sharing app Instagram which was acquired by the social media site in 2012, have decided to leave the company. The duo have put down their papers and will leave the company in a few weeks, adding to the challenges facing Instagram’s parent company, Facebook.
In a statement issued by Krieger, he informed Instagram’s team about their decision to leave the company. While he did not give a reason for stepping down, he said: “We’re planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again. Building new things requires that we step back, understand what inspires us and match that with what the world needs; that’s what we plan to do.”
Their departure adds to questions about Instagram's future as concerns about Facebook's approach to user data and foreign interference begin to take a toll on business.
The resignation of Instagram founders is an echo of the exit of Whatsapp founder Jan Koum who resigned from the company in April after his rising concern about Facebook’s approach to user data.
Facebook acquired Instagram in April 2012 for $1 billion and WhatsApp in 2014 for a steep $19 billion.