North West Joins Instagram After Kanye West’s Criticism

Kim Kardashian’s 12-year-old North West launched Instagram — account managed by parents — despite past public criticism from Kanye West.

North West, 12, launched an Instagram account @northwest and shared her “first post.”
Her profile states it is “account managed by parents.”
Kanye West previously criticized Kim Kardashian for sharing their children on social media.
Kim says she approves posts and monitors comments as part of parental oversight.

North West launches Instagram

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s eldest child, North West, has officially joined Instagram. The 12-year-old created the username @northwest and posted a blurry first photo of herself wearing a Balenciaga graphic T-shirt, a black mini skirt and black boots with the caption, “first post.”

Her Instagram bio clarifies that the account is not self-managed: “account managed by parents.” North also shared Stories showing photos and videos of her and friends wearing colorful wigs.

Kanye West’s past criticism of kids on social media

North’s Instagram debut comes after public disputes between her parents over sharing the kids online. In 2022, Kanye West publicly called out Kim Kardashian after an eight-year-old North appeared in a TikTok with cousin Penelope Disick. Kanye said at the time that he did not want their daughter to be “used by TikTok, to be used by Disney,” and asserted, “I am her father … I have a say so.”

Those comments sparked a back-and-forth between the former couple, drawing attention to how they handle parenting and public exposure for their children.

Kim Kardashian defends parental oversight

Kim has addressed the criticism before, saying Kanye’s public attacks were more hurtful than any content North might create. She told fans she is the main caregiver and provider, and that she protects her children while allowing supervised creative expression.

Kim explained that posts from North appear on her phone and require her approval before they go live. She also shared that North sometimes writes replies to comments on Kim’s phone — including a viral clapback when critics questioned a past costume look.

Past controversy: Halloween look and online backlash

Earlier this year, North and her friends wore a Halloween-inspired look that included temporary face tattoos, a fake nose ring, colored contacts and grillz. The photos, shared on the joint TikTok account @kimandnorth, drew online criticism because of North’s age.

Kim pushed back, explaining it was a costume and that all elements were fake. The family’s TikTok account and North herself responded to headlines that framed the look as alarming, calling it “a non-issue.”