bug discovered by my 9 yo in Samsung kids

[userUd0kCEvcHI]

1) I open Samsung Kids on my Tablet Samsung A9+

2) I open Facebook messenger (i gave her permission to use facebook messenger in Samsung Kids).

3) I click on a contact in Facebook messenger; this contact sent me a youtube link.

4) I click on the youtube link and voilà, now u have access to the uncensored regular YouTube, which is not appropriate for a 9 yo girl.

Samsung kids should not allow to open links, even though these links are from an app that exists in Samsung kids. Please fix this asap!

[meself]

The Facebook app mentioned would need to contact them about the issue

[realaud]

Submit feedback through the feedback link in the support tab of the members app.

[CEParsons]

This is a known issue with Messenger, not Samsung Kids. It has been reported to Meta numerous times over a number of years and they have not done anything about it to this point.

I have found that this can be helped, but not totally prevented, by temporarily deactivating the associated Facebook account. Messenger remains active, but its web browser is severely limited in what it is able to access without an active account.

There is nothing Samsung can do on their end to stop this because Messenger has been allowed, and the browser is contained within Messenger. I am not aware of any device level content/site blocking software that can successfully filter content inside of Messenger.

If you do not want your child to easily circumvent parental controls or have easy access to inappropriate content, I would personally advise you (as a parent myself) to keep her far, far away from any Meta products.

[userUd0kCEvcHI]

thank you brother. I have no idea how a 9 yo can discover and exploit a bug like that. i am happy she showed me otherwise she would watch inappropriate things on regular youtube from inside Facebook messenger.

I will also check Facebook messenger for kids, i gave her also permission, from within Samsung kids, to use FM kids, If FM kids also allows to open youtube links, I will have to remove it from Samsung Kids.

[CEParsons]

Kids are smart. You'd be shocked how adept kids are at getting around controls.

I can't remember if this issue applies to MKids as well. Keep your kid safe!

[vungnho]

In Messenger settings > Photos and media > Open links with external browser: On

You can set Messenger to open links using Samsung Kids' browser, but your child can still turn it off in settings :))

[userUd0kCEvcHI]

i went ro facebook messenger settings and looked everywhere, i could not find an option called photos and media, please can you share a screenshot for this option? Thx.

[userUd0kCEvcHI · Accepted solution]

I finally found this setting in FM, it was already off. Then it hit me: no matter what you do, Samsung Kids cannot block the browser imbedded in FM, because SK cannot control other apps, but it can control external links by blocking them, so for this option: Photos and media > Open links with external browser: I put "ON", forcing FM to open the links in a new external link/app. and guess what? SK blocks all unauthorized sites, so SK blocked it. and now it works, I cannot open links from within FM.

Please spread the word because FM can open dangerous links, especially uncensored regular YouTube.

[CEParsons]

Yes, this is one method for creating some friction. The problem with this solution is that the setting can easily be toggled off by a child intending to circumvent the controls.