Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 24
A24 TECHNOLOGY
Thursday 1 February 2018
Child experts: Just say ‘no’ to Facebook’s kids app
By MATT O’BRIEN and BAR- swer questions about how
BARA ORTUTAY popular the messaging
AP Technology Writers app has been. But App An-
BOSTON (AP) — Child de- nie, an app analytics firm,
velopment experts and said Messenger Kids has
advocates are urging been downloaded about
Facebook to pull the plug 80,000 times on Apple’s
on its new messaging app iOS devices — iPhones,
aimed at kids. iPads and the iPod Touch
A group letter sent Tuesday — since it launched on
to CEO Mark Zuckerberg Dec. 4. It’s been in the top
argues that younger chil- 40 most popular kids’ apps
dren — the app is intended since then. That sounds like
for those under 13 — aren’t a lukewarm reception at
ready to have social me- best.
dia accounts, navigate University of Michigan
the complexities of online developmental behav-
relationships or protect ioral pediatrician Jenny
their own privacy. Radesky, who co-signed
Facebook launched the the letter, said she’s never
free Messenger Kids app met a parent who was
in December, pitching it clamoring to get their chil-
as a way for children to This file photo provided by Facebook demonstrates parental controls on Facebook’s new dren onto social media at
chat with family members Messenger app for kids. an earlier age.
and friends approved by Associated Press “One can only assume that
parents. It doesn’t give Facebook introduced it to
kids separate Facebook said on Monday that the media platform exploits Some companies have of- engage users younger and
or Messenger accounts. app “helps parents and “vulnerability in human fered parental controls as younger,” Radesky said.
Rather, the app works as children to chat in a safer psychology” to addict us- a way of curbing unauthor- That’s troubling, she said,
an extension of a parent’s way,” and emphasized ers. A chorus of other early ized preteen use of their because younger children
account, and parents get that parents are “always in employees and investors platforms. But Facebook’s haven’t yet developed the
controls such as the ability control” of their kids’ activ- piled on with similar criti- new kid-focused app, cognitive skills that enable
to decide who their kids ity. The social media giant cisms. which features animations them to think about and
can chat with. added that it consulted Many preteens have al- and emojis, seems to ca- regulate their thoughts and
The social media giant has with parenting experts and ready found their way ter to a younger audience, actions and “allow them
said it fills “a need for a mes- families, and said “there is onto Facebook and more said Josh Golin, executive to realize when persuasive
saging app that lets kids no advertising in Messen- youth-oriented social me- director of Campaign for technology design might
connect with people they ger Kids.” dia platforms such as Snap- a Commercial-Free Child- be manipulating them.”At
love but also has the level KIDS AND FACEBOOK chat and Facebook’s own hood. the time it launched Mes-
of control parents want.” A variety of experts and Instagram, despite internal “It looks like something that senger Kids, Facebook said
But critics see the move as technology insiders have rules that require users to be would appeal to a 6-year- it won’t show ads or collect
a way for Facebook to lure begun questioning the ef- at least 13 years old. Those old or 7-year-old,” he said. data for marketing to kids.
in a younger audience be- fects smartphones and rules are based in part on He said the app gets those And it stressed that it won’t
fore they could move on social media apps are federal law, which prohib- younger ones used to automatically move users
to a rival service such as having on people’s health its internet companies from Facebook’s platform “and to the regular Messenger or
Snapchat. and mental well-being collecting personal infor- then they transition to the Facebook when they get
“TARGETING YOUNGER — whether kids, teens or mation on children without mature version of Face- old enough — though it
CHILDREN” adults. Sean Parker, Face- their parents’ permission book.” might give them the option
A group of 100 experts, book’s first president, said and imposes restrictions on UNCERTAIN IMPACT to move contacts to Mes-
advocates and parenting late last year that the social advertising to them. Facebook wouldn’t an- senger down the line.q
organizations is contest-
ing Facebook’s claims of Apple to respond to U.S. probes into slowdown of old iPhones
filling a need. Led by the
Boston-based Campaign By MICHAEL LIEDTKE gating how investors have company is also working pany torpedoed the older
for a Commercial-Free AP Technology Writer been affected by Apple’s on another software up- iPhones to prod them to
Childhood, the group in- SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — handling of the situation. date that will give consum- upgrade to the latest —
cludes psychiatrists, pedia- Apple is cooperating with A software update re- ers the option of turning and more expensive —
tricians, educators and the U.S. government inquiries leased in 2016 began to off the slowdown feature, models released in last fall.
children’s music singer Raffi into its secret slowdown of slow down older iPhones if they are willing to risk a “We have never — and
Cavoukian. older iPhones, further com- when their batteries weak- sudden shutdown. That would never — do anything
“Messenger Kids is not re- plicating its efforts to move ened to prevent them from free update, due out this to intentionally shorten the
sponding to a need — it past an issue that irked abruptly turning off. But spring, also will include a life of any Apple product,
is creating one,” the letter customers whose devices Apple didn’t fully disclose feature measuring the bat- or degrade the user experi-
states. “It appeals primarily bogged down. what it was doing until De- tery’s strength. ence to drive customer up-
to children who otherwise The company acknowl- cember 2017. In its latest statement, Ap- grades,” Apple said. “Our
would not have their own edged the probes late Apple has since apolo- ple reiterated its belief that goal has always been to
social media accounts.” Tuesday after both The Wall gized for not being more it was acting in the best create products that our
Another passage criticized Street Journal and Bloom- forthcoming and is re- interest of its customers customers love.”
Facebook for “targeting berg reported the U.S. placing batteries on older by extending the lives of Despite its contrition, Ap-
younger children with a Justice Department and iPhones for $29, a $50 dis- their iPhones. Many con- ple is still grappling with the
new product.” Securities and Exchange count. sumers, however, remain fallout from its slowdown of
In a statement, Facebook Commission were investi- The Cupertino, California, convinced that the com- older iPhones.q
