After Whatsapp, Instagram founders quit amid tensions with Zuckerberg

Instagram, which now has more than one billion users, is a key driver of revenue for Facebook

The founders of Instagram are leaving Facebook Inc. after growing tensions with Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg over the direction of the photo-sharing app, people familiar with the matter said.

Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, who have been at the company since Instagram’s acquisition by Facebook in 2012, had been able to keep the brand and product independent from Facebook. Lately, they were frustrated with an unusual uptick in day-to-day involvement by Zuckerberg, who is now more reliant on Instagram for Facebook’s future growth.

Without the founders around, Instagram is likely to become more tightly integrated with Facebook, making it