{"id":122443,"date":"2021-05-31T06:13:21","date_gmt":"2021-05-31T13:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"\/blogs\/?p=122443"},"modified":"2025-05-08T23:16:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T06:16:43","slug":"potentially-malicious-apps-your-kids-may-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/potentially-malicious-apps-your-kids-may-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Potentially Malicious Apps Your Kids May Use"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a question I get\u00a0<\/span>several times a year<\/span>\u00a0from\u00a0<\/span>anxious parents<\/span>, either via\u00a0<\/span>a direct message<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>an\u00a0<\/span>email or even in <\/span>line at\u00a0<\/span>the grocery store<\/span>. It goes\u00a0<\/span>something like this:\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>What\u2019s the one thing you wish you\u2019d done\u00a0<\/span><\/i>better when\u00a0<\/span><\/i>monitoring your kids\u2019 technology?\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both of my kids are now yo<\/span>ung adults<\/span>, and together, we survived<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a handful of\u00a0<\/span>digital\u00a0<\/span>mishap<\/span>s.\u00a0<\/span>So,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>tend to have\u00a0<\/span>a few\u00a0<\/span>answers<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>ready.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019ll go into\u00a0<\/span>one of those answers in this post, and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>h<\/span>ere it is:\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019d\u00a0<\/span><\/i>physically\u00a0<\/span><\/i>pick up their phone\u00a0<\/span><\/i>more\u00a0<\/span><\/i>often\u00a0<\/span><\/i>and\u00a0<\/span><\/i>ask<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>questions\u00a0<\/span><\/i>about the apps I\u00a0<\/span><\/i>didn\u2019t<\/span><\/i>\u00a0recognize.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And here\u2019s why.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are the apps on your child\u2019s phone that are familiar.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0They are the easy ones.\u00a0<\/span>We know what color they are, what their graphic avatar<\/span>s\u00a0<\/span>look like \u2014 the little ghost<\/span>\u00a0on the yellow background<\/span>, the\u00a0<\/span>little\u00a0<\/span>bird, the\u00a0<\/span>camera on the bright purple and orange background<\/span>. We may have gone through the app together or even use one or two of the apps ourselves.\u00a0<\/span>There\u2019s Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp, Kik, a<\/span>nd Instagram<\/span>, among others<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>There are<\/span>\u00a0the mainstay photo apps (VSCO<\/span>, Facetune, PicsArt<\/span>) and games\u00a0<\/span>(The Sims, Fortnite, Minecraft)<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>We\u00a0<\/span>may not like\u00a0<\/span>all<\/span>\u00a0the apps<\/span>, but\u00a0<\/span>we\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0likely\u00a0<\/span>talked about the risks and feel comfortable\u00a0<\/span>with how your<\/span>\u00a0kids use them.\u00a0<\/span>With <\/span>general<\/span>\u00a0recognition, it\u2019s easy to have a false sense of security<\/span>\u00a0about what apps our kids are\u00a0<\/span>using<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then<\/span><\/i>,<\/span><\/i>\u00a0ther<\/span><\/i>e are<\/span><\/i>\u00a0the apps\u00a0<\/span><\/i>on your child\u2019s phone you know nothing about<\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u2014 and there are plenty.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Rather than dismiss\u00a0<\/span>your concern<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>because you don\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>understand\u00a0<\/span>the app or because you may not have the energy to\u00a0<\/span>start an<\/span>\u00a0argument<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>next time, think about pausing<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span>tak<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0a closer look<\/span>. If you have concerns, address them<\/span>\u00a0sooner rather than later<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Q<\/span><\/b>uestions\u00a0<\/span><\/b>to consider<\/span><\/b>\u00a0when analyzing an app<\/span><\/b>\u00a0or online community:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n