DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHO YOUR KIDS ARE TALKING TO ONLINE?
Closer looks at the controversial new sites aimed at connecting teenagers to complete strangers…
WE URGENTLY NEED CHANGES TO PROTECT
OUR CHILDREN
Sitting at her friend’s house, Katie* agreed to go on chat site Omegle with her. But within minutes, they ended up on a video chat with a man who moved his phone down his trousers to show them his genitals. For Katie, who’s just 12, it was horrific – she was scared and confused. Perhaps even more worryingly, she told Closer that her friend – who is the same age – was unfazed and said it often happened.
Her mum, Joanne*, 51, told Closer, “I looked up the site and was horrified. There are no controls on it at all. I’ve been clear with Katie that she’s not to go on it again, but I know lots of her friends do – who knows what they’ve been subjected to.”
SEXUALLY EXPLICIT
Omegle markets itself as a website for users to “talk to strangers” – you are paired randomly with someone else and can chat over video or text. It launched in 2009 but since the pandemic it has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity – research showed that it grew globally from 34 million visits a month in January 2020 to 42.3 million in January 2022. Users don’t have to create an account, they just tick a box to declare they are over 18 or are over 13 with parental permission – but there are no checks at all.
INAPPROPRIATE
When a Closer reporter joined the site – leaving her screen blank so users didn’t know if they were talking to an adult or a child – the first three people she spoke to used inappropriate language. The first man told a joke about a sex act, the second boasted his genitals were so large “he could lick them” and asked the writer if they would like to watch, and the third asked straight away “R u horny?”. Further chats were of a similar ilk, asking for virtual sex hook-ups. They were video chats and the men all appeared to be over 30.
Mum Lorin LaFave knows only too well the dangers of meeting strangers online. Her 14-yearold son, Breck Bednar, was murdered in February 2014 after being groomed by twisted 18-year-old loner Lewis Daynes. Since then she’s campaigned tirelessly for awareness on how to stay safe online.
She tells Closer, “It’s terrifying what can be accessed just with the touch of a button. Different apps and websites pop up every day, so it’s hard to keep track of them, and sadly they are businesses run for profit and often with no concern for the child’s welfare. Even when they are moderated, it’s usually basic and people can easily get round it by using slang and emojis or by slightly misspelling words.
“There needs to be huge changes around online safety for young people. We want it to be included in the national curriculum in an interesting and engaging way. There needs to be age verification on websites for teens, to check that no adults are getting access to them. Adults will go on either to get a kick out of shocking, or to try to groom them to send pictures, have a sex chat or even to meet up with them.
“And teenagers can be a danger to each other, too – Breck’s murderer was only just 18. Parents need to be very aware of this. Apps and websites need to be made accountable by law for the content in them.”
A recent investigation into Yubo by a national newspaper – an app that has 50 million users worldwide and is aimed at teenagers – found that young users are at risk of sexual harassment, racism and bullying. A reporter posed as a 15-year-old girl and he/she was regularly asked by users to take nude photos and for sex. Many conversations also reportedly involved selfharm, suicide and drug use. Schools have issued an urgent message to parents, alerting them to the app’s content. “Due to the nature of this app, your child may encounter content that is not appropriate opriate for them,” head teachers said in a news release.
Closer’s reporter also joined other sites where there was no verification process, users can log in as a guest with the click of one button, then you just type a username, select your sex and put in your age.
DISTURBING
The first direct message our reporter got was, “R u into naughty stuff?”. Further messages asked about the colour of her underwear and whether she liked thinking about sex.
Lorin says, “Our kids
are being immersed into a language and tone that is far too sexualised. And it’s not just that – some of these websites also expose children to self-harm and suicide.
These are all topics that need to be discussed in a safe and protected environment, not with strangers who don’t have their best interests at heart. We urgently need changes to protect our children.”
Yubo told Closer that user safety is their foremost priority, they constantly work to identify and prevent harmful behaviours and have built their safety practices on age-rating, identity and age verification, and real-time moderation.
They added they use AI filters for chats in live streams and have moderators who intervene in real-time when reports are made or content is flagged.
Omegle told Closer it takes the safety of users seriously and that it works with law enforcement and organisations working to stop online exploitation of children such as the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children (NCMEC). It said it uses AI and human moderation for content shared in chats and that content flagged as illegal, inappropriate or in violation of Omegle policies can lead to a ban of the user’s IP address and might be reported to law enforcement agencies.
By Mel Fallowfield
● For help and more information, go to breckfoundation.org