Top 6 Signs Your Children are Being Approached by a Predator
How Online Predators Use Apps to Get to Unsuspecting Kids and Young Adults
Are you worried about your child’s online communications? Do you wonder if they’re being “groomed”? Does your young adult know about the signs of online predators and the dangers that come with them?
Social media apps have become a ubiquitous part of our lives, particularly for young people. However, with the increasing popularity of these apps, comes a growing concern over the safety of children who use them.
Sexual predators and online abusers have been known to use social media apps to prey on minors, often with the intention of meeting them in person for harmful purposes.
As a result, it is important for parents and guardians to be aware of the dangers of predators reaching out to children on social media apps, and to take steps to protect them from potential harm.
Unenforced Age-Restricted Apps
Wildec, a Ukraine-based developer of dating apps including FastMeet, Meet24, and Meet4U, received a warning from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding its failure to prevent underage users from accessing its apps.
Despite stating in each app’s privacy policy that users under 13 are not allowed to use the apps, Wildec did not prevent these users from accessing and using the apps, or from being visible to other users.
As a result, Google and Apple removed these apps from their stores to prevent adults from finding and communicating with children, including those under 13 years old.
These apps violate laws on child protection, as they collect information on user age and real-time location data, which sexual predators can use to identify nearby children.
The use of online messaging and dating services to lure children has been a growing concern, with Instagram identified as the leading platform for child grooming in the UK.
Although some apps and games have age restrictions, predators can easily get around them and reach out to their targets. State Police Lt. John Pizzuro warned that as technology develops, more children are at risk of being contacted by predators on social media.
What are the Signs Children Should be Aware of if They Think They are Being Approached Online by a Predator or a Person with Bad Intentions?
It’s important for children to be aware of the signs of potential danger when communicating online.
Here are some signs that children should be aware of if they think they are being approached online by a predator or a person with bad intentions:
- Requests for personal information – Predators often ask for personal information, such as a child’s name, age, school, or address.
- Offers of gifts or money – Predators may offer gifts or money in exchange for personal information or to entice a child to meet them in person.
- Pressure to keep secrets – Predators may ask children to keep their communication a secret from parents or other trusted adults.
- Requests for explicit images or messages – Predators may pressure children to send explicit images or messages, or to engage in sexual activity online.
- Inappropriate language or behavior – Predators may use inappropriate language or behavior, such as sexual innuendos or asking for explicit images, in their communication with children to exploit them with.
- Attempts to meet in person – Predators may try to arrange in-person meetings with children, often using false pretenses to gain their trust.
If children encounter any of these signs while communicating online, they should tell a trusted adult immediately and cease communication with the person.
It’s important for children to know that they should never share personal information online or agree to meet anyone they’ve met online without a trusted adult present.
Encourage children to report any suspicious behavior to a parent or trusted adult, and to trust their instincts if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe in any online interaction.
What are Common Apps that Have Been Used by Predators in Attempted Luring that Parents Need to Know to Protect Their Children?
Here are some examples of apps that have been reported in the news as being used by predators to attempt to lure children:
- TikTok – This popular app is used by millions of users worldwide, including many young people. However, it has also been used by predators to target children.
- Snapchat – This app allows users to send and receive photos and videos that disappear after a set time. This feature has made it popular with predators who want to engage in sexting with minors.
- Kik – This app is a messaging app that allows users to send texts, photos, and videos without using their phone numbers. This anonymity has made it popular with predators looking to groom children.
- Instagram – This social media app is also popular with young people, but it has also been used by predators to target minors.
- Discord – This is a popular app among gamers that allows users to chat with each other. However, it has also been used by predators to target children who are interested in video games.
- Yubo: This app has over 15 million users worldwide and is often referred to as “Tinder for kids.” Its target audience is teens aged between 13 and 17 years, and it allows them to make new friends. However, it also lets young kids “pretend to be adults and swipe left or right to hook up.” There is no age verification process when creating an account on this app, making it easy for predators to create fake profiles and target children.
- Sarahah: This app enables users to send anonymous direct messages to their friends through other social media platforms such as Snapchat. Originally intended to provide positive encouragement in the workplace, it became controversial and was removed from stores after a complaint was filed by the mother of a girl who was encouraged by a Sarahah user to take her own life.
- Kik: Developed in 2009, this app enables chat between Blackberry, Android, and iPhone users. It has added further features, such as chatting with a bot, using gifs and emojis, or scrolling through the newsfeed. The company specifies that users must be 13 or older, but it does not verify the age of users.
- Skout: This app was also designed to help people make new friends and connections. It requires users to be 13 or older, and there is a safety tips section on the website. As a safety measure, the app tells users that if they are going to meet someone in person, they must tell a friend and stay sober.
- Whisper – enables users to share photos, videos, posts, and send anonymous messages. The app says users must be 17 or older.
- Grindr, a dating app launched in 2009, is intended for gay and bisexual men to meet others in their nearby area. Users can swipe through profiles and chat with others. Although the app restricts users to be 18 or older, users can enter any age they want as Grindr does not verify it.
- Tinder is another social networking and dating app that allows users to chat with each other once both users have matched their profiles. Users must be 18 or older, but they can enter a birth date that is older or younger than their actual age. The age requirement was previously only 13 years old until June 2016 when the company changed it due to heavy criticism from parents.
- Musical.ly is a video creation app that allows users to add a soundtrack to their short videos. Users can communicate with each other through features such as “ask a question” and “duets,” and they can also send direct messages. The app is intended for users aged 13 and older.
- Hot or Not is a photo rating app that allows users to rate the photos of others on a scale of attractiveness. The app added a “Meet Me” feature that allows users to chat with strangers and potentially meet in person. The app requires users to be 18 or older, but users can sign up by entering any birth date.
- Wishbone is a survey app that allows users to choose between two different options and create their own questions. The app also has a private chat feature. Wishbone is intended for users aged 12 and older and has been rated “Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content and Nudity” and “Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes” on the Apple Store.
In addition, chat room websites host various themed rooms including Gay Chat, Teen Chat, Singles Chat, and more.
Users can create an account on the website or chat as a guest with just a username.
However, some of these websites can be potentially dangerous.
Some examples of such websites are:
Omegle.com
Chatroulette.com
Chat-Avenue.com
ChatStep.com
Chatrandom.com
Camzap.com
Tinychat.com
Tohla.com.
These platforms allow predators to get to your children through their chat features.
Three potentially dangerous games include Fortnite, Minecraft, and Discord.
As a parent, it is important to educate your children about online etiquette and how to protect their digital identity.
Discuss the implications of using these apps and websites with your children and inform them about how online predators can harm them.
It’s important to monitor your children’s smartphones and remotely block any of the above-mentioned apps or websites if you find them.
Use a Parental Control App:
Disclaimer: The use of parental phone monitoring apps is subject to legal obligations and responsibilities. Users must comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal requirements in their jurisdiction. This includes obtaining proper consent from individuals, respecting privacy rights, and adhering to privacy and data protection laws. Users should seek professional legal advice for specific guidance and understand that the developers, providers, and distributors of such apps are not liable for any legal consequences arising from misuse or illegal use. This disclaimer does not replace professional legal advice, and users are solely responsible for their actions and compliance with the law.
Parental phone monitoring apps have the capabilities of monitoring and tracking family on their devices. These apps provide the ability to monitor their child’s location, who they converse with, and determine if they are being cyberbullied.
The purpose of parental phone monitoring apps is to protect family members and be an all-knowing parent.
Nonetheless, people are curious and still wonder what their other half may be up to.
Make sure you read all disclosures, disclaimers and legalities when considering using a parental phone monitoring app.
The best way to protect and monitor your children and young adults is with a parental control app. Each app has its advantages and disadvantages.
At the same time, some products are at the top, offering much greater functionality and convenience.
Eyezy
Screen Recording, Social Network Tracker, GPS Tracking, Keystroke Capture, Calendar Viewer—and this is not the whole list of advantages that elevate Eyezy to the top parental control app for iPhone.
You can review absolutely everything on your child’s iPhone or any other gadget for inappropriate content.
For incredibly advanced children, Eyezy has an Invisible Shield that hides the app icon on the device and prevents it from being detected.
If you’re still not convinced, the Demo version will come to your aid. You can take it for a spin and understand precisely how suitable the program is for you, as well as the convenience and clarity of the interface.
Make the most of your monitoring experience.
Enjoy the simplicity and power of Eyezy!
mSpy
Another top player in the market of iPhone parental control apps is mSpy.
mSpy is the #1 phone monitoring software that provides the best capabilities for monitoring computers and phones. mSpy is easy and convenient to use and there is nothing complicated in using it.
mSpy is a digital assistant for people to monitor text messages, current GPS location, calls, emails, social media platforms (Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and others), and much more.
mSpy has a lot of advantages for modern-minded users. It helps them to keep tabs on loved ones’ smartphone activities without fear to be caught.
Further, parents can use mSpy and always be able to know what their kid is up to online and raise a red flag if danger occurs. Any parental monitoring software can be used to catch cheating.
mSpy is highly advanced tracking and monitoring software designed to provide a safer and more controlled smartphone experience.
mSpy captures an impressive range of data from Android and iOS mobile devices, allowing users to monitor and track call logs, emails, text messages, browsing history, social networks, multimedia content, and location.
In addition, mSpy can record keystrokes, restrict calls from undesired numbers, block access to programs, websites, and apps, lock devices, and more. mSpy offers 24/7 customer support and has a large network of international online partners.
Flexispy
With more than 150+ unique features, FlexiSPY continues to stay at the forefront of the monitoring software industry.
FlexiSPY features range from the most basic to the most advanced features you cannot find with any other product.
This means you’ll have access to everything from spy on the calendar, view phone contacts and SMS tracker to Facebook spy, remote recording, and live call listening.
FlexiSPY’s parental control app for Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, and Mac lets you do just that.
Read popular IM conversations, monitor call logs, track your child’s devices using GPS, listen to phone calls, and so much more with Flexispy and FlexiSpy Express.
XNSPY
XNSPY is the most trusted and advanced mobile phone spy software that secretly records and uploads all data and location stats on the phone or tablet it is installed in and uploads it to online control panel.
When it comes to a huge cache of features, XNSPY will keep you posted about your friends and business on the go from anywhere, anytime.
Sift through important cell phone logs of your kids or take note of your employees’ latest social media updates without even intruding on them.
Xnspy works with most Android and iOS devices. XNSPY’s dynamic monitoring is your easy way around to check on the mobile devices of the people around you.
Conclusion
As a parent, you can educate your kids the online etiquette and how to protect their digital personalities.
Discuss the implications of using such apps with your kids. Tell them how online predators can harm them.
Remember, kids will be kids, so you have to perform the monitoring task for them. Monitor their smartphones, if you find any of the above-mentioned apps or websites remotely block them immediately.
- Can Someone Hack My Phone? ALL The Truth You Need to Know!
- How to Tell If Your Cell Phone Is Being Tracked, Tapped, or Monitored by Spy Software
- Can Someone See My Text Messages Without Me Knowing?
- How to Find Out Who Someone is Texting
- Best 15 Tools To Monitor Mobile Phones
- 10 Best Mobile Phone Number Trackers
- Would You Check Your Partners’ Mobile Phone?
