Facebook Considers Expanding Access to 13 and Younger Crowd

An 11-year-old girl looks at the Facebook site on her computer at home in Palo Alto, Calif. Though Facebook bans children under 13, millions of them have profiles on the site by lying about their age. The social networking company is now testing ways to allow kids to participate without needing to lie.

—Paul Sakuma/AP

Educators weighing benefits, drawbacks

By Michelle R. Davis

Principal Lynmarie Hilt has found that Facebook is the most efficient way of communicating with parents at her K-6 Denver elementary school.

But the news last week that Facebook is considering opening its site to preteen users has spurred her to think also about its potential educational value for her students.

With the revelation by The Wall Street Journal that Facebook may be looking to expand its reported 900 million users worldwide by reaching out to younger children, a flurry of both interest and concern...