Instagram Launches A Lite Version For Users In Rural And Remote Areas

On Wednesday, Instagram said that it is launching a Lite version of its social app in over 170 countries, which will help users in remote and rural areas browse the platform more easily. Instagram Lite will be rolled out to Android users.

The new app consumes minimal data and less storage space than the regular version of the app. Instagram Lite requires just 2MB to download on an Android phone, as opposed to the 30MB full version of the app.

This move suggests that Facebook is aiming at developing countries where the internet connection is weaker and people can afford the latest smartphone models. As of now, there are about 2.8 billion monthly active users on Facebook, most of whom are not from the US. Instagram Lite may also help narrow the digital gap as it works in regions with limited access to data.

Facebook’s Director of Product Management Tzach Hadar said:

“We wanted the Instagram experience to remain fast, high-quality, and reliable, irrespective of the device, platform, and network people are on.”

Instagram Lite will be rolled out in Myanmar, Egypt, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe among other countries. When pushing further into developing countries, Instagram may face more challenges in moderating offensive content like hate speech.

According to Instagram Lite product manager Nicholas Brown, the social network is now better at proactively flagging hate speech before user reports. From October 2020 to December 2020, the company flagged 6.6 million pieces of content for hate speech, 95% of which was found before it was reported by users.

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