LONDON: Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has criticised Facebook for “targeting younger children” by releasing a child-focused version of its Messenger app.

Facebook announced on Monday it was trialling Messenger Kids in the US, a standalone app aimed at children under 13 to chat with friends and family, controlled from a parent’s main Facebook account.

The social network said it had consulted with parents and experts to ensure child safety in using the app, but Hunt has accused the tech giant of failing to act responsibly.

“Not sure this is the right direction at all,” he tweeted.

 “Facebook told me they would come back with ideas to PREVENT underage use of their product, but instead they are actively targeting younger children. Stay away from my kids please Facebook and act responsibly!”

When announcing the app, Facebook said Messenger Kids requires parents to set up an account for their child, where only a name is required, with all contacts added and approved by parents from their main Facebook account.The social network has not commented on Hunt’s tweet.

In a blog post for the launch, Facebook’s Loren Cheng said: “Today, parents are increasingly allowing their children to use tablets and smartphones, but often have questions and concerns about how their kids use them and which apps are appropriate.

“So when we heard about the need for better apps directly from parents during research and conversations with parents, we knew we needed to develop it alongside with the people who were going to use it, as well as experts who could help guide our thinking.”

“In addition to our research with thousands of parents, we’ve engaged with over a dozen expert advisers in the areas of child development, online safety, and children’s media and technology who’ve helped inform our approach to building our first app for kids.”

The Independent