Facebook for under-13s?

Dubai UAE experts have raised concerns at reports that Facebook (FB) may allow children under 13 to sign up for the social network. It has been speculated that the 900-million-member-strong site plans to open the doors to under-13s — reports that have not been denied or confirmed by Facebook. FB bans children younger than 13 from having accounts, but it has no way to verify a user’s age when signing up. Surveys in the US and UK have revealed children sometimes lie about their age when joining the site. US media reports said this week that preteen FB accounts may be linked to their parents’ accounts, who [parents] will have the final say on who their children ‘like’ or add as friends on their profiles Still, experts in the UAE have urged parents to keep a close watch on children, saying it is not hard for them to find ways around the restrictions. “Kids today are very smart and talented in the online world, often more than their parents. They always find a way to overcome barriers,” said Ehsan Moghaddam from Watch Guard, part of the Unified Threat Management security specialists. “Children can and do get basic hacking tools from the internet. There’s a lot of vulnerability and exposure on Facebook, for hackers and victims both.” Anu Mampilli, a social expert from the Child Guidance Centre in Sharjah, said: “There are lots of perverts and psychologically ill people out there who target children online. Opening up Facebook to such a young segment is not without risk. But you can’t stop children from using technology. Of course, age verification — if that’s what’s planned for Facebook — will only help. It should require a joint log in because you can get Facebook on your mobile too.” She said parents need to be open about the pros and cons of Facebook. On Tuesday, a new report linked 12,300 cases, mostly of harassment and cyber bullying, to Facebook in the UK alone. The report said a crime takes place every 40 minutes on Facebook.