City
Epaper

FB's Portal to stop kids from watching content unsupervised

By IANS | Updated: October 20, 2021 17:00 IST

San Francisco, Oct 20 Facebook is delivering an update to Portal devices that will make it possible to ...

Open in App

San Francisco, Oct 20 Facebook is delivering an update to Portal devices that will make it possible to turn off the Watch Together feature during calls in Household Mode.

According to The Verge, the update comes shortly after a BuzzFeed News article criticised Facebook's blatant oversight of not including an "off" switch for the feature.

Watch Together lets you watch shows, music videos, or funny clips with distant friends or family members. Choose a video from Facebook's selection, and it will be simultaneously presented to you on your Portal and on your friend's device, whether that may be a phone, tablet or Portal.

Watch Together may sound like a great idea, but it obviously isn't ideal for parents who want to keep their kids away from videos on the internet, the report said.

When a Portal device is in Household Mode, everyone in the house has access to it and that includes kids. The Watch Together feature remains hidden in Household Mode, but it reappears during calls.

This can be a recipe for disaster, as BuzzFeed News noted, since kids can grab hold of the device, start up a call, and begin watching videos with others, the report said.

Right now, there's no way to disable Watch Together during calls in Household Mode likely leaving some parents feeling frustrated but that's all about to change.

In response to the BuzzFeed News report, Andrew Bosworth, the vice president of Facebook Reality Labs, sent out a tweet that says Facebook is working on a solution.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Tags: FacebookAndrew BosworthFacebook Reality LabsFacebook connectivityAfter facebookNl salviCs - connectivityWhatsapp facebookFacebook newsFacebook twitter
Open in App

Related Stories

MumbaiMumbai: Uttarakhand Woman Sexually Assaulted in Andheri Hotel by Facebook Friend; Accused Arrested

MaharashtraMaharashtra: Youth Duped of Rs 62,000 via Fake Facebook Account Impersonating District Collector

MumbaiMumbai: Kandivali Businessman Duped of Rs 79 Lakh in Online Trading Cyber Scam

NationalTej Pratap Yadav Viral Video: Former Bihar Minister Says Facebook Page Was Hacked After Post Claims He Was In Relationship

LifestyleEid Mubarak 2025 Wishes: Send Eid Al-Fitr Greetings and Messages on WhatsApp, Facebook to Loved Ones

Technology Realted Stories

TechnologySouth Korean President Lee calls for measures to curb fake news on YouTube

TechnologyDPIIT ieam visits Bengaluru to boost IoT and Deep-Tech innovation

TechnologyIndia's smartphone exports hit record $7.72 billion in Q1FY26, Apple leads with $6 billion

TechnologyIndia’s chip market poised to scale $110 billion by 2030

TechnologyQ1 Earnings Review: Brokerages give mixed outlook, earnings downgrade ratio drops