Despite getting criticism from the child protection group, Facebook announced that it will release Messenger Kids in Peru and Canada. They also provide Spanish and French in the app.
Facebook introduced Messenger Kids in December last year. The application is a separate chat application from social media Facebook or Facebook Messenger, which has an age limit of 13 years.
Messenger Kids does not show ads or in-app purchases. Facebook claims that Messenger Kids is made in accordance with COPPA, a regulation that protects children's privacy in the online world in the US. The data collected will not be used to display targeted ads.
Facebook keeps releasing Messenger Kids outside the US, even when the app gets criticized from educational, consumer and child development groups, which says that allowing young children and young people to use social media has its own dangers.
Meanwhile, Facebook says that they regularly discuss with child protection groups when they develop Messenger Kids apps.
To expand this app, Facebook works with groups like Media Smarts, a non-profit group in Canada that focuses on digital literacy for children.
A spokeswoman for Facebook and Media Smarts said social media did not pay the nonprofit. However, Media Smarts claims that Facebook is one of their biggest sponsors. They claim they remain independent.
