Instagram launches in-app food orders to support businesses during lockdown

Instagram is to allow food orders to be placed through the app as part of efforts to support local businesses in the UK during lockdown.

The Facebook-owned photo and video-sharing app said a new Action button could be added to a business or restaurant’s profile, or a Food Order sticker could be added to their Instagram Stories.

People who tap on either prompt will be able to make a purchase through the business’s website.

Instagram said the initiative was designed to help businesses struggling with the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis by allowing people to support local food outlets.

The scheme was launched in the US and Canada last week and has been expanded to the UK as well as Ireland as part of a worldwide rollout.

At the time, the social media platform said: “For many businesses right now, every sale helps. We’ll continue to work on features that make it easier to support the small businesses you care about.”

Instagram’s update comes after another Facebook-owned platform, WhatsApp, released a new set of stickers designed to help people communicate about aspects of the pandemic.

The stickers, developed in partnership with the World Health Organisation, were created to help users more accurately communicate the thoughts and feelings of being in lockdown.

Tech giants such as Facebook have come under scrutiny during the pandemic, predominately for their response to the spread of disinformation linked to the virus.

Appearing before MPs on the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Wednesday, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he had spoken to tech firms about doing more to stop the spread of disinformation.

Mr Dowden praised the companies for “how they have stepped up to the plate”, but said he had spoken to them about how they could “beef up” their systems, as well as addressing the speed of action and working out of hours.