Facebook's Lifestage App for Teens: Danger to Teen Privacy
Facebook's Lifestage App for Teens has been criticized to be a danger to teen privacy. Facebook launched the new video selfie sharing mobile app for teenagers but apparently teens don't have the means to control the app's privacy settings. The app is 'always public and viewable by everyone'
Snapchat Lookalike
Lifestage has elements of snapchat and gives teens tools to create a series of selfie videos, but does not provide them control on who gets to see what they share making them susceptible to malicious strangers
Lifestage launched in the US last Friday August 19. Only those under the age of 21 are allowed to download and use the app. According to Facebook, Lifestage was designed to so that it is "easy and fun to share a visual profile of who you are with your school network".
Video Online Scrapbook
A news report from the Guardian describes the app stating that "it invites users to create a series of videos showing their happy face, sad face, how they dance and sign, their favorite and least favorite song and who their best friend is. Users can also share videos of their classroom, locker, backyard and kitchen. The videos are all framed with cute animations, which give it a definite Snapchat feel."
Zero Privacy Control
When users download the app a greeting appears in their screen with the following message: "Everything you post in Lifestage is always public and viewable by everyone, inside and outside your school. There is no way to limit the audience of your videos. All videos you upload to your
The lack of privacy controls has rang loud alarm bells for online safety campaigners who are extremely anxious that the app could be taken advantage by sexual predators, kidnappers and online bullies.
Privacy Groups Alarmed
Get Safe Online, an online campaign group has raised its voice against the app vehemently complaining that Lifestage puts teens safety and personal information open for anyone to see.
Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, told Mirror Online that "Social media is a huge part of children's online lives, and when used correctly, is a brilliant way of keeping in touch with friends and family. However, with all content public and viewable by anyone there are risks to privacy settings and protecting personal information.This is hugely concerning, particularly for an app that is built specifically for children."
In principle Lifestage is restricted to people age 21 and below but Neate certainly believes that malicious users can bypass this restriction.
Michael Sayman
Lifestage was created by Michael Sayman a 19-year-old tech wiz who learned to code at 13. He was headhunted by Facebook after his app, 4Snaps, gained a massive two million users.
Sayman shared to the Guardian his views on Lifestage stating that "Back in 2004, Facebook was all about 'who I am'. I could post my relationship status. I could share what my favorite music was. And it was all about expressing myself. Today as Facebook has grown into so much more, we see the opportunity to explore that concept of 'who I am' once again, but for Generation Z in 2016."
Back to Basics
Sayman aims to bring Facebook back to its roots when it began as a social network limited to friends and classmates in schools and universities. He told Tech Crunch: "Lifestage isn't a messaging app. There are already a bajillion of those. Instead it is somewhere between an address book and a digital scrapbook of interests. Users fill out a "reach me" section where they can tell others how best to get in touch, whether via Snapchat or Instagram."
