Facebook is launching a messenger app for kids. Bell + Ivy Co-Founder and CEO, Cynthia Johnson, explains how the social media giant is trying to gain more early adopters.
The app, "Messenger Kids," allows children between ages six and 12 to send texts, messages, and videos to a list of parent-approved contacts. Facebook says there will be no advertising on this platform, and only data it will collect from the kids is their names. But still, some parents are concerned.
Johnson says the best way to create customers for life is to get them when they are young. So while launching this app for kids in one way, Facebook is open to evolving it in new ways in the future, says Johnson. Facebook's advantage is the wealth of information it contains in its network, she adds.
Sarah E. Needleman, reporter at The Wall Street Journal joins Cheddar News to discuss the recent AWS outage and if the internet is too dependent on Amazon.
Following bombshell reports about Instagram's toxic impacts on the mental health of teens and children, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, was summoned to capitol hill to answer questions. Today's hearing was part of a series of six hearings on protecting children online. Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media joins Cheddar News to discuss.
A packed Thursday pod: Carlo and Baker cover the latest developments in the Ghislaine Maxwell, Jussie Smollett and Elizabeth Holmes trials. Plus, Dems are losing the Hispanic vote, Boris Johnson in trouble again, and is it possible that Adele has peaked?
Attack surface management startup CyCognito recently raised $100 million in its latest funding round, valuing the company at $800 million. CyCognito offers cyber security through its attack surface scanner, which uses artificial intelligence to identify weak spots in an organization's network. The new funding comes as companies around the world continue to add new defenses to the growing rise of cyber threats and attacks. CyCognito co-founder and CEO Rob Gurzeev joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, faced withering questions on Capitol Hill about the reports the social media app was aware of the severe mental health impacts it was having on teenage girls. Karen Kornbluh, the director of digital innovation and democracy for the German Marshall Fund, joined Cheddar to discuss the rare show of bipartisan outrage on display at the Senate hearing. "The senators came really loaded for bear on both sides of the aisle," she said. Kornbluh explained how senators like Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) set up fake Instagram accounts with teen girl profiles in order to research the effects firsthand.
