Senate Democrats Question Security, Privacy of Facebook's Messenger Kids App

Facebook is being asked for assurances its new Messenger Kids app protects children’s privacy and security (see 1712040064), in a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg by Senate Democrats Ed Markey, Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, Conn. They ask by Jan. 4 whether Facebook will continue its promise of an advertising-free service; identify information shared with vendors and service providers; describe the app's security protections; and summarize the extent of consultation with child development experts in designing the app. Facebook said it received the letter and pointed to its blog describing consultations with parents in developing the app and an ongoing $1 million research project examining tech’s long-term impact on children.