Facebook's flaw allowed strangers to interact with kids: Here's how
What's the story
Facebook's security issues are not really coming to a halt. The service has been marred by a range of issues, and now, a new report has revealed that the platform connected kids with absolute strangers in a group chat. The problem stemmed from a bug in Facebook's Messenger Kids app, the chat service specifically designed for kids. It has now been fixed. Here's more.
Issue
How Messenger Kids connected strangers with children
Facebook Messenger Kids is supposed to be a platform where kids chat with parties approved by their parents. However, just recently, a technical error in the platform allowed children to start groups with unauthorized users. Basically, the kid starting the group was able to add people authorized to chat with him/her, even if those people weren't approved to chat with other group members.
Details
Group permissions created the issue
The permission system for group chats created the issue, letting kids start groups with people their parents had approved of while connecting unauthorized strangers with each other in the process. It's not clear how long the issue had existed but Facebook told The Verge - which first reported the bug - it affected a small number of group chats, that have now been closed.
Notification
Facebook has also notified the parents
Along with closing those group chats, Facebook has also written to parents to inform about the issue. "We found a technical error that allowed [CHILD]'s friend [FRIEND] to create a group chat with [CHILD] and one or more of [FRIEND]'s parent-approved friends," the company's alert to parents read, noting that "group chats like this won't be allowed in the future."
Information
Many questions still remain
Notably, Facebook hasn't released a public statement over the issue confirming critical elements like the number of kids who were connected with strangers or how the permissions-related glitch was rectified by its security teams.
Concerns
This could make Facebook's problems worse
The latest issue revolves around the privacy of kids under 13 and could create major problems for Facebook under the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. To recall, the company is already facing a fine worth $5 billion from the Federal Trade Commissions over the privacy violations it had committed over the last two years, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal.