Social media giants target generation next

Primary school students have become the latest target for social media giants looking to engage the next generation of users.

‘(Our kids) absolutely live and breathe technology,’ says Kathrine Peereboom, with her sons, Joshua, Tyler and Oliver. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Primary school students have become the latest target for social media giants looking to engage the next generation of users, who will soon be encouraged to share personal photographs on one of the world’s most popular platforms.

Children as young as six have already been able to access Facebook’s Messenger Kids application, modelled on the adult version but with in-built parental controls, since April last year, and the company is developing an “under 13s” version of Instagram.

Outlining the project in an internal company post last month, Instagram vice-president Vishal Shah said recruiting young users had become one of the platform’s highest priorities.

He said the new product, led by Facebook vice-president and former YouTube Kids head Pavni Diwanji and head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, would ensure a safe experience for teens and allow “people under the age of 13 to safely use Instagram for the first time.”

A spokesman for Facebook’s Australia and New Zealand operations said the platform would fill a distinct gap in apps for children.

“We’re exploring bringing a parent-controlled experience to Instagram to help kids keep up with their friends, discover new hobbies and interests, and more,” he said. Right now, there aren’t many options for parents, so we’re working on building extra products … suitable for kids, managed by parents.”

Revelations of the latest Facebook project have met a mixed response from industry, government and parents, with Amnesty International technology co-director Rasha Abdul-Rahim saying Facebook posed the “biggest threat” to children’s privacy.

“Facebook’s very business model is built on ubiquitous and constant surveillance, which is entirely incompatible with human rights,” she said.

“By making users sign up to the opaque terms and conditions of Instagram, Facebook will be able to harvest huge amounts of data about children and create invasive, granular profiles that can last the rest of their lives.”

The project has won the tentative approval of Australia eSafety Commissioner Rebecca Razavi, who said “this is an opportunity to build good online habits and protective behaviours”.

Gold Coast mother of three Kathrine Peereboom supports the idea of easing children into social media in a safe environment with the addition of parental controls.

She and husband Stephen had incidents in the past when their boys, Oliver, 7, Joshua, 6, and Tyler, 5, had access to in­appropriate content and they were delighted to discover child-friendly versions of adult platforms, such as YouTube for Kids.

“I like the fact content is managed from a corporate level. Whatever is allowed through those channels is filtered,” she said.

“(Our kids) absolutely live and breathe technology and everything these days is technology-based and technology-driven … It’s very difficult to manage even with external software.”