The Guardian – Nicole Kobie
Questions over whether the benefits of anonymous apps – such as giving children a space to explore sensitive issues – can outweigh the risks they pose
Nicole Madison Lovell, a 13-year-old school girl from Virginia, chatted with an 18-year-old man over anonymous messaging app Kik before he allegedly killed her in January. Since then the app – which boasts some 240 million registered users and requires no phone number or name – has been the subject of scrutiny.
In response, Kik has handed over data to the murder investigation, updated its guide for parents, and asked the Apple Store to boost its age rating from nine to 12, with company representatives stressing teens between 13 and 18 should get parental permission to install the app.
Kik is, of course, not the only anonymous app hit with safety scares. Yik Yak, which allows people within a particular radius to create posts anonymously and upvote or downvote other posts, has faced controversy for hosting racial abuse and violent threats. Secret, an app where users can share their secrets anonymously, has also faced scrutiny over cyberbullying and security.
These might be more extreme cases, but can these anonymous apps ever be truly safe?
by MindMake via MindMake Blog
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