| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of a "technical error" allowing unauthorized users to join group chats in Facebook's Messenger Kids app has happened within the same organization (Facebook) before. The article mentions that the app has been controversial since its launch in December 2017, with child advocacy groups urging Facebook to shut it down due to privacy concerns [87406].
(b) There is no specific information in the provided article indicating that a similar incident has happened at other organizations with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to the design phase. Facebook's Messenger Kids app had a "technical error" that allowed children to join group chats with people who weren't approved by their parents, indicating a flaw in the system development or procedures to operate the app [87406].
(b) The software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase. The flaw in the Messenger Kids app allowed unauthorized users to join group chats, which could be considered a failure introduced by the operation or misuse of the system [87406]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in Article 87406 was due to a technical error within Facebook's Messenger Kids app. The flaw allowed thousands of children to join group chats with users who were not approved by their parents, which was a violation of the intended functionality of the app. Facebook acknowledged the error as a "technical error" and mentioned that they detected the issue affecting a small number of group chats within the app. They also mentioned that the issue has been fixed, indicating that the failure originated from within the system itself [87406].
(b) outside_system: There is no specific mention in the article about the software failure incident being caused by contributing factors originating from outside the system. The focus of the incident was on the technical error within the Messenger Kids app that allowed unauthorized users to join group chats. Therefore, based on the information provided in the article, it is unknown if the failure was due to factors outside the system [87406]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was due to a "technical error" in Facebook's Messenger Kids app, allowing children to join group chats with users who weren't approved by their parents. This flaw was identified as a non-human action, specifically a technical error within the software itself [87406].
(b) On the other hand, the article also mentions that Facebook is still investigating how the error occurred, indicating that human actions might have played a role in the introduction of the flaw. The spokesman mentioned that they are looking into how the error happened, suggesting a potential human factor in the software failure incident [87406]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 87406 was due to contributing factors that originated in software. Facebook mentioned that a "technical error" allowed thousands of kids using the Messenger Kids app to join group chats with people who weren't approved by their parents. This flaw in the software allowed unauthorized users to be part of group chats, indicating a software-related issue [87406]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is non-malicious. Facebook attributed the incident to a "technical error" that allowed children using the Messenger Kids app to join group chats with unauthorized users. The company stated that the error affected a small number of group chats and that the issue has been fixed. Additionally, Facebook mentioned that the members of these group chats were approved by the friend's parents, indicating that the error was not caused by malicious intent [87406]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Messenger Kids app on Facebook can be attributed to poor decisions made during the development and implementation of the app. The incident was caused by a "technical error" that allowed children to join group chats with people who were not approved by their parents [87406]. This flaw in the app's design led to a breach of privacy and safety concerns for the children using the platform. Additionally, the app had been controversial since its launch, with child advocacy groups urging Facebook to shut it down due to concerns about violating federal laws aimed at protecting children's online privacy. These factors indicate that the incident was a result of poor decisions made in the development and management of the Messenger Kids app. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article as Facebook acknowledged a "technical error" that allowed children using the Messenger Kids app to join group chats with unauthorized users. This flaw was a result of a lack of professional competence in ensuring that only approved users could participate in these group chats [87406].
(b) The software failure incident also appears to have an accidental element as Facebook referred to the issue as a "technical error" that they detected affecting a small number of group chats. The accidental introduction of this flaw led to unauthorized users being able to join group chats with children on the Messenger Kids app [87406]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article was temporary. The article mentions that Facebook detected a technical error that allowed kids to join group chats with unauthorized users. Facebook turned off the affected chats and provided parents with additional resources on Messenger Kids and online safety. The spokesman mentioned that Facebook is still investigating how the error occurred but has fixed the issue. Additionally, The Verge reported that it's unclear how long the bug was present in the app, indicating that the issue was not permanent [87406]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article is not related to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. [87406]
(b) omission: The software failure incident is related to an omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). In this case, the flaw in Facebook's Messenger Kids app allowed children to join group chats with users who weren't approved by their parents, violating the intended restrictions. [87406]
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing, where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. [87406]
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to a value failure where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly. In this case, the flaw in the Messenger Kids app allowed unauthorized users to join group chats, contrary to the intended privacy and security measures. [87406]
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not related to a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. [87406]
(f) other: The other behavior in this software failure incident is the violation of privacy and security measures intended to protect children using the Messenger Kids app. The flaw allowed unauthorized users to join group chats, potentially exposing children to risks. [87406] |