Messaging apps are being used by everyone now. In some cases they are also being used to connect with other people. In particular, children are actively using these apps to talk with their friends. This raises concern for the parents of these children. ‘Who are they talking to?’, ‘Are they being manipulated?’ or ‘Is it safe to talk online?’. With worries like these, they sit distressed.
But among all of the different messaging applications, there are some that stand out as being extraordinarily safe. One of these is Viber. With extensive unique features, it sets itself apart from its competition. Children are also often attracted to these features. But parents would still wonder, ‘Is viber safe for kids?’
What is Viber?
Viber is a messenger app that became very popular soon after its release. It had over 1.1 billion users registered in 2020. Unlike other messaging applications, Viber has a feature called “Viber Out,” which allows users to communicate with non-Viber users. This has a low cost but allows you to make international calls.
Viber has an insane focus on safety. Safety is prioritized over all else in this application. Features like end-to-end encryption, hidden chats etc. are all slapped onto the app making it the holy grail of safe communication. These result in an application where the messages are so secure, that not even the creators of Viber can read them.
Besides this, Viber also allows its users to join public group chats and channels. This provides a portal for its users to connect with others and engage with various communities. This, however, comes with an obvious risk, and in the case of children, a definite need for parents to address it.
What safety features does Viber offer?
Viber focuses greatly on security and safety. Following this, it is important to know what exactly it does to make itself safe:
- End-to-end encryption: Introduced in 2016, it is a key feature concerning safety. It makes messages ‘end-to-end’ which means that only the people at both ends (sender and receiver) can read them. As mentioned before, the developers of the app can’t access this information either.
- mHidden chats and secret messages: ‘Hidden chats are hidden by applying a special PIN code. The messaging list does not contain them and there is only one way to access them. That is by inputting the PIN code into the search bar. This shows all of the hidden chats and their contents. Similarly, ‘Secret messages’ refers to auto-deleting messages. After a predetermined amount of time has passed, they will be deleted automatically. This is good for safeguarding private information.
- Block and report tools: Users can control who can contact them. This is done using the Block and report tools. If a message seems to be spam likely or perhaps something inappropriate, simply blocking the user is sufficient. They will not be able to message you any further. After blocking, you can report the user, so they are removed and cannot disturb others.
- Two-step verification: This setting is for enhanced account security. A designated email address or verification app can be set and then the setting enabled. With it enabled, everytime you, or anyone else, tries to log into your account, a unique code will be sent to the email address or verification app. This code has to be inputted otherwise login is impossible.
According to Messagio, Viber enjoys a 97% message delivery rate, and also boasts over 70 million interactions happening every hour. This really puts into perspective its reliability as a messaging service.
Is Viber safe for kids?
Although Viber is very security-centered, nothing is perfect. There are still some risks involved with using Viber. In the case of children, these are even greater:
– Exposure to inappropriate content:
A safe environment is very cautiously set up in Viber. Despite this, the possibility of unsafe material surfacing still exists. This is especially harmful for kids as they could risk exposure to content above their maturity level.
– Hidden chats:
As a safety feature, hidden chats prove to be extremely useful. But at the same time, it means that children can use it to hide their inappropriate conversations. Parents would then not be able to access their child’s communication. This is an extremely dangerous problem, and a possible solution would be to actively keep track of your child’s used PIN codes.
– Contact with strangers:
As covered in both the previous points, Viber lets you communicate with the people you choose to communicate with. Children, without knowing any better, could possibly actively contact and communicate with people that they should not communicate with. Primarily, strangers. This risk is greatly mitigated by Viber’s block and report tools, but if the child doesn’t use them, it is still a major risk.
– Sharing of private information:
Viber provides extensive security in safeguarding private information from hackers and the like. But it does not prevent from voluntarily sharing private information. A typical Viber user sends over 30 messages a day, indicating that engagement on the platform is high. This means that sharing private information, be it accidentally or intentionally, is not uncommon. To combat this, parents should educate their children on what information should be shared and what shouldn’t.
It is clear that even though Viber strives for maximum security, it is impossible to achieve it. Due to this, it is up to parents to ensure their children are aware of the risks of these applications.
How can I ensure my child uses Viber safely?
An easy, yet effective way to ensure digital safety for children is to use external parental control apps. Something like FlashGet Kids can provide extensive features to help parents keep track of their children’s online activities. Some of these features are:
- Screen Mirroring: As the name suggests, it mirrors (copies) your child’s screen onto your screen. This lets you watch a livestream of your child’s activities. If the child is spotted participating in suspicious tasks, parents can intervene immediately.
- Keyword Detection: FlashGet Kids detects explicit keywords that pop up on the screen. If your child sends or receives any inappropriate content, the parents will be notified immediately.
- Content Filtering: ‘Content Filtering’ essentially just filters content. The filtered content does not reach the child and is blocked beforehand. Especially useful for making sure children don’t accidently reach content they shouldn’t.
- Time management: Time management is another feature on FlashGet Kids. It prevents children from exceeding their time limit and makes sure they live a respons.
- App Blocking: This allows parents to block certain apps. It can block apps that contain harmful or inappropriate content, ensuring further safety.
It is also very important that parents make sure children know what risks the online world poses. The best way to keep your child safe is by keeping them up to date on these, and using parental control apps.
Children are thus kept safe from the dangers of the online world. If the parental control tools are implemented and the children know the dangers of this cyber world, he/she can surf the internet to all the extent of comfort.
Conclusion
So, is Viber safe for kids? While it offers many cool security features like end-to-end encryption, secret chats, blocking tools etc. there are still many threats present on the application, especially for children. These can range from communication with strangers and bullying to access to inappropriate content. However, by employing applications like FlashGet Kids, for example, parents can monitor the activities of their child on Viber, filter out bad content and even limit app usage.
Therefore, although Viber isn’t inherently safe on its own, parents can create a safe environment for their children. FlashGet Kids’ advanced monitoring tools, put together with the safety features of Viber, creates a wonderful secure environment where children can freely.
