![]() ![]() When we tried to send a GIF from the Messenger app to a kid profile, we received the following error message: “GIFs can't be sent to Messenger Kids accounts.” GIFs weren’t available while we tested the Messenger Kids app, so we’re not sure how safe this feature is. Granted, this isn’t a major dealbreaker for diligent parents, but we have to acknowledge that “catfishing” is a thing and it only takes one bogus friend request to slip through to compromise a child’s safety. However, we’re worried about unsavory characters posing as children. This is something that’d be difficult to regulate since households vary in size. There was no foreseeable limit to how many profiles we could create. We were able to create numerous fake profiles under one Facebook account. The Messenger Kids app is not password-enabled, which is great for parents that want to monitor their children, but becomes a privacy issue if a child loses their mobile device.Īnother concern is that Facebook’s Messenger Kids app is extremely easy to manipulate since there’s no way to verify a child’s age or identity. When we tested Messenger Kids, we spotted some red flags. ![]() Messenger Kids won’t boot children off once they hit 13, but this could possibly change with an update.įor more information, parents can take a look at Facebook’s Messenger Kids Privacy Policy and dedicated Common Questions. Ultimately, parents get to decide whether their children get to transition over to Facebook Messenger when they become of age. Messenger Kids complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protections Act law set by the Federal Trade Commission, so Facebook won’t migrate children’s accounts when they turn 13 or collect data for advertising purposes. ![]() However, you’re allowed to delete your child’s profile at will or remove a contact you no longer approve of. Messenger Kids is rolling out in the US initially.You won’t be able to see what your kid is saying or what they’re seeing from the management panel, which could be a deal breaker for parents of kids at the lower end of Messenger Kids’ age range. And just as they want to say “lights out” at night, they also want to be able to say “phones off.”" Just as they want to know whose house their child will be visiting for a playdate, they want to know who their child is connecting with online. "They want a level of control over their kids’ digital world that is similar to the level they have in the real world. We collaborated with National PTA on a study with more than 1,200 American parents of children under the age of 13, and three of every five parents surveyed said their kids under 13 use messaging apps, social media or both, while 81 percent reported their children started using social media between the ages of eight and 13," said Davis.ĭavis said while children expressed a desire to use social media to have fun, all of their research shows one consistent theme: parents want to know they’re in control. "Research shows that kids are using apps that are intended for teens and adults. Messenger Kids is separate from Facebook, so a child does not an account on the main platform.įeatures include including specially chosen GIFs, stickers, masks, and frames, as well as drawing tools.Īntigone Davis, Facebook's Public Policy Director, Global Head of Safety explained in a note that the decision behind the Messenger Kids app is the fact that children are using technology at a younger age but not those that are age appropriate. There are special protections to block abusive content from appearing in the app.Īnticipating concerns about privacy, Facebook says that the app will collect minimal data from its users, aside from identifying which contacts the user interacts with most frequently. Messages never disappear and can’t be deleted, so parents can always find them on their kids’ devices.Ĭhildren also get to block any person they don’t want to talk to, and they can report inappropriate messages. The app allows parents have to approve a child’s contacts, and request friends on behalf of their kids from their own Facebook account. Here are some things you should know about the app: Facebook today debuted its Messenger app for kids.Ĭalled Messenger Kids, the app aims to provide young children with an outlet to connect with relatives but with parents' concern about safety in mind. ![]()
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