Facebook Messenger Kids rolls out in the US

Facebook Messenger Kids app for iOS (Source: Facebook) — Facebook Messenger Kids (Source: Facebook)

The new Facebook Messenger Kids opens up the social network to children aged under 13. This app allows parents to download the app on their child's device, create a profile, and then approve the contacts they are allowed to interact with.

by Codrut Nistor, 2017/12/04

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Youth-focused social networks like Snapchat are supposed to be safe until you figure out that your kid is swimming in a sea full of sharks. To keep online predators far from children and teenagers, Facebook has decided to roll out Messenger Kids.

This app is only available for iOS devices in the US and it works like a safe Facebook for kids. Parents get to download the app on their children's phones/tablets, create and edit their profiles, and finally approve each contact they can text and video chat with. A Facebook account and a phone number are not needed, but kids can easily interact with Messenger and Messenger Kids users that have been pre-approved by their parents.

In addition to the above, Facebook Messenger Kids features proactive safety filters that prevent children from sharing content unsuited to their age, such as violence and nudity. Even the GIF sharing engine Giphy can be used via Facebook Messenger Kids, but the content is filtered in this case as well.

Facebook Messenger Kids will not be monetized directly, but they will be automatically migrated to real accounts (advertising included, of course) when they turn 13. The iOS app can be already downloaded and installed as needed, but a variant for the Android platform of Facebook Messenger Kids is also expected to arrive soon.