Report: Facebook May Open Up To Kids Under 13
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Imagine your toddler friending you on Facebook. If the company goes through with a new plan, anyone under the age of 13 will be able to set up a Facebook account, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The company is currently testing technology that will allow kids under 13 to use the site under parental supervision, the Journal reported. The site is testing connecting children's accounts to their parents' and controls to limit friending, along with applications the kid can use, according to the WSJ.
Technically, federal law requires that any website obtain proof that parents consented before allowing a child to give out any personal data. Add into that the constant privacy concerns surrounding Facebook and the company is drawing plenty of fire for the reported plan.
Facebook has faced intense criticism over the age of users, especially in the wake of several cyber-bullying cases that have either turned violent or deadly.
According to Consumer Reports, via the WSJ, Facebook has 7.5 million children under the age of 13 using the site, including more than five million under the age of 10.
Facebook has also been under a microscope after a disastrous initial public offering of public stock a few weeks ago. The stock went as high as $45 a share, but has since been in freefall to a price of around $27 a share as of Monday.
