What is Yubo? Relationship App Used by Kids Gives Polemics

The Yubo application has been causing controversy in many parts of the world, including Brazil. The app, which is being called on several sites of "Tinder for children", has as a slogan "make new friends". Available for Android and iPhone (iOS), Yubo works just like Tinder, a youth and adult relationship application.

That is, the user or not the profiles of people who are in nearby locations. If the person you like also gives a "like", you combine and see "friends". One of the posts being shared on the subject says "Nothing on the planet is going to be more dangerous than this app [for kids]." Understand the controversy and possible risks of the application below.

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The three Yubo flaps, in the test account made for the matter

Yubo describes itself as geared towards children and teens over 13 - age that is not accepted in Tinder. Under the rules of the company behind the application, users between the ages of 13 and 17 stay in a separate group of adults, and need to confirm that they have the permission of a responsible person to use the social network. However, in tests done while writing this matter, no warning message was displayed when signing up as a minor and very quickly we were able to access the application.

The only part where there are some more prominent alerts is the terms of use, which appear at the end of the registration. However, everything is English, as is the rest of the application. In addition, Yubo lets you add friends to Snapchat, stream, send photos, videos, etc.

Yubo Terms of Use

For reasons such as these, parents and authorities question the security of the application for fear that anyone with bad intentions (such as pedophiles, for example) may pass as a teenager and cause harm to underage users. A Cornwall school in England sent an e-mail to those responsible, alerting them to the large number of students enrolled in the app, which could be used by "sex offenders to target young people." In several other parts of the UK, the police and the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) have warned of the safety of children using Yubo.

In the United States, police in Lenexa, Kansas, posted a post on their Facebook last year, warning of the dangers posed by the application (which is still called Yellow): "Yellow uses location to find other users nearby, so anyone wishing to sign up must activate their location on the device.This brings obvious risks for young people who share their online location. "

Part of the Lenexa Police Post in the United States

In Brazil, the posts have been shared by parents who recently discovered the social network. One of them says, "You have with a cell phone? Go there and check if he has Yubo installed." Nothing on the planet will be more dangerous than this App. .. ".

With so many concerns raised, Yubo recently joined Australia's eSafety Commissioner's Tier 1 media scheme, which aims to solve cyberbullying issues and curb them in the country. The partnership allows that, if the company does not act within 48 hours in cases of bullying, the eSafety Commissioner is free to act in the case and remove the contents that affect the children. In addition to Yubo, the social and gaming platform Roblox also entered into the partnership.

Parental control

Whether it's Yubo or any social network or application that involves meeting other people (such as games, for example), it's important for parents to control the activity of their children's children and teenagers on the Internet .. This can be done in a variety of ways.

The Yubo website has a guide for parents and guardians, explaining how the application works and how to report any strange messages or users. The social network still teaches you a step-by-step how the responsible should proceed with their children: talk about why they like Yubo and other sites and applications; encourage to be as respectful in the virtual as in real life; and reassure them that they are not alone and can count on their parents if they are worried about something.

Part of the Yubo Parent Guide

The application website also provides a guide for children and adolescents. It teaches you how to use Yubo securely, respecting other users and being honest about the information given to the app (like original photos, correct age, etc.). Yubo also explains how to protect himself in the social network, indicating what to do when feeling uncomfortable or suffering some type of bullying. The guide has an explanation of the concept of bullying and how to report strange users. Just like everything related to Yubo, the information is all in English.

Part of the guide for users between 13-17 years

There are other ways to protect children when they use the Internet, such as the Kaspersky Safe Kids platform and the Kids Zone, Kids Place, Pumpic and Kid's Shell applications. These programs allow parents to define what the child can access by the computer or cell phone, restricting various content and / or being alerted of the sending of images, videos, etc. In addition, several services have their own parental control, such as Netflix, Windows 10, PlayStation (3 and 4), YouTube Kids, among others.

Via Cornwall Live, Huff Post and International Business Times

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