DATING apps that allow children as young as 12 to create profiles have been removed from the Apple and Google stores because sexual predators use them.
The crackdown happened after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning about the apps called FastMeet, Meet24 and Meet4U.
All three apps collected personal information like live location data, birth dates, email addresses and photos, while also allowing children to chat with adults online.
Collecting data on children under 12 is a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which states that parents must give their consent for this data to be collected if the child is under 13.
An FTC investigation found that it was easy to find children on the app by using a ‘search by age’ filter, making them simple ‘tools’ for paedophiles to use.
In March, a man was arrested in New York for using FastMeet to attempt to meet up with a 13 year old girl who was actually an undercover police officer.
The FTC has issued the following warning to parents who may be concerned about their children using dating apps: “Parents be warned: some dating apps – like FastMeet, Meet24 and Meet4U – allow adults to find and communicate with children.
“Concerned parents should remove these apps if they’re on children’s devices. You also can set your kids’ devices so they must get parental approval before purchasing any new apps.”
The company that owns the dating apps is called Wildec and is based in Ukraine.
According to the FTC, Wildec is liable for children using its apps because anyone could freely enter their age onto the platforms with no repercussions.
The FTC said: “While the three apps claimed in their privacy policies to prohibit users under the age of 13, the apps failed to block users who indicated they were under 13 from using the apps and from being contacted by other users of the apps.”
In other news, Bumble is cracking down on d**k pics with new ‘Private Detector’ AI that blurs lewd images before they reach your inbox.
Tinder has launched a new Festival Mode that lets you track down potential lovers before you actually get to the event.
And, a new messaging app can work out who fancies you by analysing your texts.
Have you ever used any of these dating apps? Let us know in the comments…
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