LINE app is growing immensely in the world of mobile messaging apps. Not just only on smartphones, the Line app is available on PCs and MacSee also. People can have free messages, video calls, voice calls anytime from anywhere. But on April 12, 2021, Line went through a large-scale crash in Taiwan. Because Line was hacked, more than 70 thousand Line users had suffered from a leak of transaction data from December 26, 2020, to the month of April 2, 2021. That’s why regarding the safety concern, Is Line Calls & messages safe for your kids?
What is LINE?
Launched in Japan in 2011, a freeware app, the Line, is used for instant communication using electronic machines such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and computers. It has gained more popularity in Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan.
This Japanese application portfolio include news, social feeds, banking, health service; it has a lot of things to offer its user.
Users can share text messages, videos, photos, music with another person. They can also use the hidden chat feature to share more secret messages. As the message transferred using hidden chat feature can hide and remove a chat history after a time set by the user. One major advantage of the LINE app is that it is free of charge. But Is LINE calls & messages safe for your kids? Let’s discuss this in this article.
Is LINE safe for kids?
The Line app, like other social networking apps, isn’t immune to the dangers of the internet. Although Line is rated 12+ in Apple’s iOS AppStore, Smart social doesn’t consider this app safe for tweens. As it has free texting and video call feature, they can text random people. Some potential risks that any teenagers can be victims of are listed below:
Cyberbullying
Many teenagers have become victims of cyberbullying in today’s world. Cyberbullying on Line can be detected in the comment section, where a random person may comment bullying on the shared photo. Along with that, on the group section and personal message box, someone can pass a message which may embarrass your child.
Exposure to the Adult Content
Surfing the Line app can lead your child to adult content. As a result, your child’s mind may expose to sexuality at a very young age, and they may develop some bad habits from its influence.
Data leak
The Line app shares your information with 3rd parties to aid social advertising. What if those third-party servers get hacked? In a sec, all data will be leaked. And also, shared information on your profile can be used by some hackers for evil purposes.
Underestimation of self-esteem:
Teens want to follow trends set either by their friends or their favorite actor actress. And in the Line app, your child may encounter that post.
However, going through every recent trend may not be possible for every kid. And watching influencer activities and not becoming able to do that may lead them to underestimate themself.
How to make LINE safe for Kids?
If your kid is a user of the Line app, then protect their privacy settings, personal info such as contact details, Line ID. Guide your children on how to protect themselves from cyberbullying and online scammers.
Don’t let them add Stranger people.
The feature of the Line app, “People Nearby,” must be disabled because it lets an unknown person send a friend request to your child. By using fake identities and taking advantage of your child’s innocence, they may trap them.
Educate them
Educate every negative side of the Line app which you find inappropriate for your child. Tell them not to use the “Hidden Chat” feature because they may send private information or inappropriate pictures videos, thinking none will see that message except the receiver. Hidden chat is similar to the WhatsApp disappearing message.
Build Strong Password
Use a strong password that mixes uppercase, numbers, lowercase, and symbols to prevent unauthorized access to your account. Don’t repeat the ditto password for all accounts.
Furthermore, never open a link from an unknown source. Be aware of phishing.
In addition to that, you can use parental control applications like MobileSpy to stalk your child’s activity from any location. You need to limit your children’s screen time, and for that, there are options on phone settings.
And the answer to the question Is LINE calls & messages safe for your kids is Yes! By keeping all those mentioned points in the head and taking care of that, the Line app is safe to use. But definitely, you have to be extra careful and use a parental control application for better safety.
The Bottom Line:
The line app has made its place in the heart of many teenagers. Its attractive feature was able to grab the public attention. But be careful while exchanging anything on social media.
Though Line privacy & security settings help your kid to deal with scoundrels, this article exposes the risk of Line: Calls & Messages for your kids with a solution to that problem.
