(Image source from: The New York Times)
Facebook-owned Instagram co-founders Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom have stepped down from photo-sharing app that has more than one billion users.
According to a report in The New York Times late on Monday, the co-founders have resigned from their positions and plan to leave the company in the coming weeks while the reason behind their move was still unknown.
Later, Systrom wrote in a blog post that they were planning on taking some time off to explore their curiosity and creativity.
"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," said Systrom.
"Mike and I are grateful for the last eight years at Instagram and six years with the Facebook team.
"We've grown from 13 people to over a thousand with offices around the world, all while building products used and loved by a community of over one billion. We're now ready for our next chapter," the blog post added.
The quitting of founders, came when social media platforms including Facebook were going through intense scrutiny over the spread of fake news and menacing campaigns.
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Instagram, which was founded in 2010 was bought by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012.
"We remain excited for the future of Instagram and Facebook in the coming years as we transition from leaders to two users in a billion," said Systrom.
"Kevin and Mike are extraordinary product leaders and Instagram reflects their combined creative talents…I've learned a lot working with them for the past six years and have really enjoyed it. I wish them all the best and I’m looking forward to seeing what they build next," Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg in a statement.
However, according to TechCrunch reports, the reason for the exit of the founders could be because of mounting tensions between Instagram and Facebook's leadership with regard to Instagram's autonomy.
-Sowmya Sangam
