Co-founders of Instagram to leave company

Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom. Pic/AFP

Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are leaving the smartphone photo-sharing service bought by Facebook six years ago for a billion dollars, the New York Times reported late Monday citing unnamed sources.

Systrom and Krieger have resigned from their posts as chief executive and chief technology officer respectively, not giving reasons and saying they planned to take time off, according to the Times. Facebook did not respond to a request for comment.

Instagram in June announced it passed a billion active users, and unveiled a new long-form video feature in a bid to attract "creators" like those on YouTube. Facebook acquired Instagram in April 2012 for a combination of cash and stock worth some $1 billion at the time.

The departures come as Facebook grapples with the worst crisis in its history, vilified for not more zealously guarding information users share at the leading online social network.

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