Teens targeted on dating app
Posted on: 06/13/2012 02:46 PM
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Skout, which was designed as a location-based dating service, has suspended its service to the teen community after reporting the app was used by three men posing as 13 - 17 years olds that led to sexual abuse of teens.
Skout, with more than five million subscribers, is the largest location-based dating app. It was originally aimed at adults but added a separate service for 13- to 17-year-olds last year after kids started using the app.
"The safety of our community is our number one concern," founder and chief executive Christian Wiklund said on the company blog Tuesday.
"However, it's become clear to us that these measures aren't enough," he said.
"In recent weeks, we've learned of several incidents involving a few bad actors trying to take advantage of some of our younger members.
"We thought carefully about what to do. We know how much Skout means to our teen community, and, at Skout, our community means everything to us. For now, we believe that there's only one thing we can do: until we can design better protections, we are temporarily shutting down the under-18 community."
The New York Times reported that three teenagers were raped by men posing as teens who they met using the mobile app. It said a 15-year-old Ohio girl said she had been raped by a 37-year-old man. A 12-year-old girl in California and a 13-year-old Wisconsin boy were also assaulted.
"I'm disgusted by what's happened here," Wiklund told the newspaper. "One case is too many. When you have three, it looks like a pattern. This is my worst fear."
On the blog, Wiklund said, "We are extremely sorry about this, but we don't believe we have any other choice. We will not compromise the safety of our community, and right now, our concerns are too significant to simply stand by and do nothing."
He said the company is working "to build better safeguards, including mechanisms for age verification."
Skout, with more than five million subscribers, is the largest location-based dating app. It was originally aimed at adults but added a separate service for 13- to 17-year-olds last year after kids started using the app.
"The safety of our community is our number one concern," founder and chief executive Christian Wiklund said on the company blog Tuesday.
"However, it's become clear to us that these measures aren't enough," he said.
"In recent weeks, we've learned of several incidents involving a few bad actors trying to take advantage of some of our younger members.
"We thought carefully about what to do. We know how much Skout means to our teen community, and, at Skout, our community means everything to us. For now, we believe that there's only one thing we can do: until we can design better protections, we are temporarily shutting down the under-18 community."
The New York Times reported that three teenagers were raped by men posing as teens who they met using the mobile app. It said a 15-year-old Ohio girl said she had been raped by a 37-year-old man. A 12-year-old girl in California and a 13-year-old Wisconsin boy were also assaulted.
"I'm disgusted by what's happened here," Wiklund told the newspaper. "One case is too many. When you have three, it looks like a pattern. This is my worst fear."
On the blog, Wiklund said, "We are extremely sorry about this, but we don't believe we have any other choice. We will not compromise the safety of our community, and right now, our concerns are too significant to simply stand by and do nothing."
He said the company is working "to build better safeguards, including mechanisms for age verification."
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