The social media giant is making waves with news of their new social messenger app – for kids.
The free app is aimed at kids under 13, who can’t yet have their own accounts under Facebook‘s rules, though they often do.
Messenger Kids comes with a slew of controls for parents. The service won’t let children add their own friends or delete messages — only parents can do that. Kids don’t get a separate Facebook or Messenger account; rather, it’s an extension of a parent‘s account.
Many psychologist are on board with the new app as many kids are already using Facebook services and lying about their age to do so. When children use social media services aimed at teens and/or adults, they are opening themselves up to witnessing mature content that they are not developmentally ready to process.
Some are wondering if Facebook created the app to simply ‘hook’ younger kids to their platform at a younger age.
However, Federal Law may answer that question.
Federal law prohibits internet companies from collecting personal information on kids under 13 without their parents’ permission and imposes restrictions on advertising to them. This is why Facebook and many other social media companies prohibit younger kids from joining.
Messenger Kids is launching Monday in the U.S. on Apple devices — the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Versions for Android and Amazon’s tablets are coming later.
What do you think about this new app?
