Parents have been made aware of a potentially unsafe social media app that has become popular with children and teens.
According to National Online Safety (NOS), a provider of online safety e-learning and resources for schools, the Yubo app has weak security features that may give young people access to inappropriate content.
Aimed at those aged under 25, the Yubo app - which has amassed 60 million users across the globe - has been described as similar to the dating app Tinder but aimed at children.
Anyone who notices their kids using the app are being urged to delete it from their devices and to talk to them about online safety.
Safety experts say the site is made up of "flimsy age gates, inappropriate content, livestream risks and the potential for bullying." They added that Yubo also is equipped with a "gateway effect that could lead to children exploring similarly designed apps not intended for a younger audience".
This week, young people's services in the UK have been contacting schools to spread awareness of the app, also advising children and young people not to use it.
In a poster sent to schools by NOS, it claims that Yubo has had issues with displaying inappropriate content to youngsters, including sexual harassment, racism and bullying. It also claims that many of its chats have referenced self-harm, suicide and drug use.
One other concern is that children can launch live video streams which strangers can view, and that Yubo requires access to a user's microphone and GPS - meaning they could share highly-sensitive information - including their location.
It says that new users have to provide personal details such as their name, date of birth and phone number, and that "represents a clear risk".
Techcrunch.com says that the French startup is particularly popular with young people who want to meet new people, play games together and hang out together in video chat rooms.
It says that the app uses age-estimation technology so that when a user is required to confirm their age, the phone camera takes a photo and a short video of the user’s face that can verify their age with what it claims is 98.9 per cent accuracy.
Yubo's chief executive officer Sacha Lazimi, and chief operations office, Marc-Antoine Durand, said in a statement on its website: "Safety is at the core of every decision made at Yubo. As a leading platform for young people to socialise online, we are constantly evolving and upgrading our safety features to stay up-to-date in an ever-changing online world.
"Our industry-leading safety tools and 24/7 team of safety specialists are designed to help everyone have a positive experience on Yubo. We’re proud to be the first major social media platform to introduce technology to verify the ages of all our users, and the first social platform to implement real-time intervention and audio moderation on livestreams.
"Whether you’re a parent, a carer or an educator, this Safety Centre gives you the resources and advice you need to support your children or students on Yubo.
"If any of our users have specific questions, our Help Centre is the place to go. Our whole team is committed to protecting, supporting and educating young people and building a digital space that they – and you – can trust."
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