Facebook wants teens to use its apps, but not without parental guidance

A new messaging app from the social network is aimed at teens and will focus primarily on offering robust parental controls.

There is code inside the main Facebook app that refers to a yet-to-be-released messaging app aimed especially at teens.

According to The Information, the app is called "Talk" and it's developed to offer a bevy of parental controls. It's restricted to users 13 years or older and teens won't need their own Facebook profile to access the app. Users of Talk also won't be publicly searchable. From The Information, which is behind a paywall:

Code inside the main Facebook app points to an unreleased messaging app aimed at young teens called "Talk," which hasn't been previously reported. The code reveals signs of new parental controls that would set the app apart from Facebook's existing Messenger app. For example, a reference to unreleased features, written in plain-English text in the code, says, "Talk is a messaging app where you fully control the contacts." Another command states, "Your child uses the Talk app to chat with you in Messenger."

The app has yet to even be announced, but there's no telling what the world's young populace will think of a communication app that's mandated directly by their parents. In the grand scheme of things, it's not exactly cool to have your parental figures up in your online business. But considering Facebook's awful track record with teens of a certain age and the uncensored harassment that sometimes takes place on the social network, it may help at least offer an alternative for young users.

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