Messenger Kids, a New Safe Space for Families to Connect

Facebook has announced the launch of Messenger Kids in Thailand. Previously available in the US, Canada, Mexico and Peru, Messenger Kids is an app that makes it easier for kids to safely video chat and message with family and friends when they can’t be together in person.

Developed with a specific emphasis on privacy and safety, the standalone Messenger Kids app meets all of these needs.

Loren Cheng, Director of Product Management at Facebook, said Messenger Kids was designed with the needs of Thailand’s parents in mind to be a safer, better way to connect with their children. For every single contact that requests to connect to a child, parents will be the one who approve it.

The app lives on kids’ tablets or smartphones but can be controlled from a parent’s Facebook account. Whether it’s using video chat to talk to grandparents, staying in touch with cousins who live far away, or sending mom a decorated photo while she’s working late to say hi, Messenger Kids opens up a new world of online communication to families in Thailand.

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. This is especially true for the Asia Pacific region where TV has already been displaced by the internet as the medium of choice among kids.

Among Thailand’s digital-savvy society, 98% of kids aged 6 to 14 would choose the Internet over TV, and nearly 50% of kids under the age of 15 are using the Internet. Additionally, in Thailand the use of the Internet is indelibly tied to smartphones, and it’s no surprise that 73% of kids in Thailand access the web via smartphones.

Messenger Kids incorporates experts’ advice in the areas of child development, online safety and children’s media and technology, and is built with strong focus on privacy, safety, responsible online communication, parental controls, and educational features that encourage positive social skills. For instance, there are no ads in Messenger Kids and information isn’t used for ads. It is free to download and there are no in-app purchases.

“With more than 51 million Thais on Facebook each month, we are committed to building a safe and positive experience for everyone, including addressing the needs of parents who want to stay connected to their children in a safe and controlled environment,” said Cheng.