Talking Angela app' is Dangerous to Children with Electronic Devices

Story:

Warning for to all parents with children that have any electronic devices, ex : ipod, tablets etc.... there is a site called Talking Angela, this site asks kids questions like : there names, where they go to school and also take pictures of their faces by pushing a heart on the bottom left corner without any notices.
Please check your children's ipods and all to make sure they do not have this app !!! Please pass this message on to your friends and family that have kids !!!!

Analysis:

The message comes as a warning to all parents with children having electronic devices like ipods
and tablets, claiming that there is a site called Talking Angela that will hack the children's personal information including their pictures - without any notice. The message is not a fact.

About Talking Angela

Unlike mentioned in the message, Talking Angela is not a website as such, it is an interactive application for iOS, Android and Facebook. The app is a product from Out Fit 7 Ltd., the same company that developed the famous Talking Tom Cat app. Talking Angela is a two-way interactive app meant for entertainment, where Angela, the chat bot talks to the user about various topics and answers in text and voice. In Child Mode, the purpose of the Talking Angela app is to wait until the child says something and then mimic what they say back to them in a cat-like fashion.

Facts about Child Privacy

As mentioned in the message, the Talking Angela app does have a Heart button, but it does not take a picture without notice. When the heart button is pushed, the app takes your picture, and then pops up a screen with 'option' to share your picture with Angela on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The app does not gather any personal information initially, but in payments page, just like other apps, does collect your personal information. However, the Legal Notice mentioned in the description of the app says that the personal information is only stored as anonymized data and not shared with anyone:

LEGAL NOTICE: We are collecting anonymized data log files containing details on the usage of the app. More details: http://outfit7.com/privacy/

And as mentioned in the privacy disclaimer of Out Fit 7, the company is also keen to protect children's privacy while using their products:

Our products and services are not directed to, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from, children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information of a child under 13, we will take all reasonable steps to delete the information as soon as possible.
If you become aware that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at http://outfit7.com/contact/

Therefore, the warning about Talking Angela as a threat to children's privacy appears to be nothing more than a scare. It need not be shared. However, it is always a good idea to keep a close eye on what your children are doing online, especially when they are using devices connected to internet