A design flaw in Facebook’s Messenger Kids has exposed thousands of children to unapproved strangers on group chats. The “technical error” of this kind meant it was possible for a child to enter a group chat with friends-of-friends who hadn’t been approved by their parents.
The Messenger Kids, launched in 2017, is built around the premise that kids chat in a safer and more controlled environment. The chat app doesn’t require any phone number for signing up. The chat app enables children between 6 and 12 years of age to chat with family members and a list of friends pre-approved by their parents. The app allows parents to remove any contact at any point of time so that children should not be able to talk to such users who are not approved by them.
The latest technical glitch appears to be more serious as the chat app has exposed the children who are too immature to be aware of the pitfalls of chatting with strangers. Since the app is designed for children under the age of 13 years, the privacy flaw is legally sensitive under the laws that protect children’s online privacy.
Facebook sent out a notice to thousands of parents who have opted for Messenger Kids last week and informed them of the design flaw. The tech giant said the error only affected a limited number of group chats.
A Facebook spokesperson said that the company has notified some parents of Messenger Kids users about a technical error. The company found that the error affected a small number of group chats. Facebook turned off the affected chats and provided parents with additional resources on Messenger Kids and online safety, the spokesperson said.
The issue has surfaced at a time when Facebook is settling charges with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC had approved a penalty of $5 billion on Facebook following a year-long probe into the company’s privacy practices that began after reports of Cambridge Analytica.