Is Facebook Messenger Safe For Kids?

Facebook messenger as a standalone app has been available over a year, but Facebook are now forcing mobile Facebook users to use the standalone app rather than messaging within the mobile Facebook app. Facebook has already phased out messaging through the mobile Facebook app, you now get a prompt to download the New 9.1 Facebook Messaging app when trying to message friends the the mobile Facebook app.

How Does It Work?

You need a Facebook Profile to enable the Facebook Messenger app, if you try to set up Facebook Messenger without linking to a Facebook profile you will be prompted to create a Facebook account. The new version of the messaging app allows users to message their Facebook friends with photos, videos, colourful “stickers” and via voice message. You can also message other Facebook users who are not your normal Facebook “Friends” via their phone number, as long as they also have Facebook Messenger downloaded. You can send messages to either one friend or a group of friends.

Is Facebook Messenger Safe For Children?

At the moment Facebook Messenger is rated at 4+ on the iTunes store.  This seems a little odd as Facebook is rated 13+, but then other messaging apps like What’sApp, another app owned by Facebook, are also rated 4+ on iTunes. Stranger still, the WhatsApp Terms Of Service rules that you have to be over 16yrs of age to use What’sApp.

Things Parents Need To Watch Out For On Facebook Messenger:

Location Services

Facebook Messenger uses location services, meaning that the messaging app can inform the person who receives a message where the user was located when they sent their message. Not a great idea for children’s privacy.  It is therefor a good idea to turn off location services for this app in the privacy settings of your phone, to protect your child from divulging their location.

Syncing Contacts and Address Books

If you synchronise your phone or device contacts with messenger it will list your contacts who also use messenger, even if they are not your Facebook friends. If you prefer to limit who your child messages through this app, it’s a good idea to make sure they don’t sync their address book or contacts. You might also like to review who they have in their address or contact list on their device/phone.

Sending Video And Photo Messages

There are allways risks to children who send video and photos via messaging. A child may send a video or photo that is inappropriate, and that photo may be used by the receiver to bully or humiliate. There’s a risk that any photo or video that is sent via this app can be shared on to other users. There are increasing reports of children being contacted by predators who ask for inappropriate photos via messaging apps, so it is important your child never shares their phone number on social media.

In App Purchases?

You can send cute “Stickers” along with messages. Most of the stickers in Facebook Messenger are free right now, but make sure you have in app purchases turned off on your child’s device for any extras that might be added for your child to purchase from Facebook Messenger down the track. See Settings  – General – Restrictions – In app purchases for iDevices and go to the Google Play store account to disable them there for Android devices.

Stick To The Age Recommendations

Although Facebook Messenger is rated 4+ on the iTunes store and “Medium Maturity” on the Google Play store,  Facebook terms of service require children to be 13yrs of age to set up an account.

Privacy Issues With Facebook Messenger 

This week there has been quite a few articles being written about the Terms Of Service for Facebook Messenger. Some of the permissions seem quite alarming at first glance, and many commentators are calling for users to boycott this app.  However many of the permissions for Facebook Messenger are required to enable the basic functions. For example access to the microphone on your phone to send a voice message, access to your photo gallery to send a photo.

Is It An Improvement On The Previous Messaging App?

This messaging app works much like other messaging apps, with group chat, sending photos and cute cartoon “stickers” and video and even making voice calls. Many other messaging apps can do the same thing. The benefit of using this app, is that you can now message people that you are not friends with on Facebook by putting in their phone number, if they have also synced their address book with Facebook.

Privacy Settings:

There aren’t any privacy settings as such, all your privacy settings can be managed on your Facebook profile.

If you prefer that only your Facebook “Friends” can message you on Facebook Messenger, make sure you don’t sync your phone or mobile device’s address book. You can check to see if you have previously synced your address book with Facebook by going into “Settings” on Facebook Messenger then “Synced Contacts”. Even if it says “Off”, click on the menu tab and then click “Learn More” you can certainly delete synced contacts that you may have synced in the past here by clicking “delete”.

Then go to your Facebook profile privacy settings and make sure that your phone number is set to friends only.

To see how to set up Privacy settings for Facebook Messenger see my recent post here:

Blocking:

To block someone who has messaged you on Facebook Messenger, you need can swipe the message to the left in your message list. This reveals options of “More”, “Mute”, “Delete”. You can mute for a short time, or forever.  Clicking the “More” option gives you options to Mark it as “Spam” or delete it. You can also block the messenger from within the open message by clicking on the info (i) icon which takes you to the persons profile. To block click the “More” option under their cover picture, and select block. I haven’t found anywhere in the messaging app where you can report abuse.

Conclusion:

Facebook Messenger is not suitable for younger children because they have to have a Facebook profile to use it, Facebook is restricted to children 13 years and older. For children over 13years, parents need to be mindful of the address book syncing and making sure the child’s phone number is private so that only people the child knows or you approve can message them through Facebook Messenger.

• Location services for Facebook Messenger need to be disabled.
• Your child must understand the consequences of sending inappropriate messages.
• Your child must also know how to block unwanted messages and contacts and make sure they don’t respond to anyone they don’t know.

For younger children Skype and iMessage are still safer options.

 

For more privacy and safety settings have a look at my cyber safety manual.