Instagram’s ‘Stay at Home’ social-distancing feature almost crashes site

Instagram founder Adam Mosseri said Tuesday that the platform’s new “Stay at Home” feature nearly crashed the company’s servers due to the sheer volume of users trying it out.

Speaking with CNN Business, Mosseri said that the feature allows users to share video updates about how they’re working or otherwise occupying their time while self-quarantined due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Mosseri added that the high usage of his company’s platform was especially challenging as Instagram’s employees are largely working from home themselves amid the outbreak.

“Having our workforce, particularly our moderators, work from home, is creating all sort of challenges that we need to work through,” he said.

“Just generally, the amount of output we should be able to expect on a per person basis is just going to go down,” Mosseri continued. “There is no way around that, which is why it is so important we get creative and make sure that we continue to make sure we keep people stay safe on the platform.”

Along with other social media platforms, Instagram has also taken steps in recent days to provide information via its platform about the spread of the coronavirus as the outbreak has infected more in the U.S.

Links on mobile and browser versions of Instagram direct users to the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.