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Facebook Flaw Lets Kids Join Unauthorised User Chats

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A flaw on a Facebook kids’ app allows children to contact and communicate with unapproved strangers. The Messenger Kids app for young ones under 13 launched in 2017. It was supposed to be a safe haven for children too young for the chaos of the adult version of Facebook.

 

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The app lets parents have control over who the children can chat with on the app. Parents are solely able to approve who their wards can conversations with. However, a design flaw from Facebook may now be the reason why some unauthorised users can be part of the children’s chats.

 

Facebook Kids

 

Facebook immediately takes action

Facebook subsequently confirmed this report with a statement. It said:

“We recently notified some parents of Messenger Kids account users about a technical error that we detected affecting a small number of group chats. We turned off the affected chats and provided parents with additional resources on Messenger Kids and online safety.”

 

The way Facebook Messenger Kids works is that a parent or guardian on the app would need to first approve friendship on behalf of their child. However, they did not factor in group chats where it was possible for a child to come in contact with an unauthorised person.

 

Facebook says it fixed the flaw immediately it discovered it. The company quietly closed down the group chats on Messenger Kids and alerted users. The alert was also sent out to parents.

 

Facebook Kids

 

It read:

“We want you to know that we’ve turned off this group chat and are making sure that group chats like this won’t be allowed in the future. If you have questions about Messenger Kids and online safety, please visit our Help Center and Messenger Kids parental controls. We’d also appreciate your feedback.”

 

Interestingly, they say they had not received any complaints of inappropriate behaviour in the time since the flaw was discovered. However, the company cannot prove how long the flaw had been active on the app.

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