Instagram ditches its 'camera' logo

New York

INSTAGRAM changed its logo on Wednesday and, predictably, the Internet was not entirely pleased. To put it bluntly, it freaked out.

The popular app ditched its old-timey camera icon - the one that actually looked like a camera - and replaced it with a square symbol that evoked a camera, rendered in the vivid colours and simple lines of the "flat design" aesthetic. It was sleek, minimalist and, according to many users, kind of basic.

The company said simplicity was the goal. In a blog post, it said the new logo reflected the app's explosive growth in popularity over the past five years from a photo-sharing service to "a global community of interests" whose use…