Facebook should shut down Messenger Kids, child advocates say


After it launched with mixed reviews, more than 100 child development experts, health advocacy groups, educators, and parents have called on Facebook to shut down Messenger Kids, a spinoff of the company’s messenger app that’s specifically designed for children ages six to 12. The collective, led by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, addressed its open letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, warning that the app is “harmful to children and teens,” and that it could “undermine children’s healthy development.”

The app, which debuted in December, was created as a workaround for parents who want to communicate with their children via Facebook, but cannot use the regular version since federal law prohibits children under the age of 13 from...

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via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2BEWD8o"

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