Y99 Chat is yet another messaging app that has been trying to establish itself as the next Omegle. However, in the process of becoming the next big thing, it has become a subject of criticism for posing safety concerns.
Many parents suspect that Y99 poses similar risks as the Omegle that was forced to shut down by a lawsuit from a sexual abuse survivor.
So, as a concerned parent who is skeptical about your kid’s safety on Y99 Chat, you must read this blog and learn how to make this site a safe haven for your child’s curious minds. So, let’s get going!
Y99 is an online chat room service offered by India that allows users to chat with strangers anonymously, share content, play games, and create public or private chat groups.
It strangely mimics the chat services from the 1990s and 2000s and, thus, features a similar overload of ads and bots. Contrary to that, most of the popularity of Y99 owes to the retro vibes preferred by both youngsters and elders.
To get started with chatting, users must first sign up and verify their account. After that, select the user with whom you wish to converse, or click on the ‘random’ feature to get matched with other users on the app.
Pros
First of all, Y99 allows you to participate in video calls and voice calls. You even can access latest news and funny memes for their entertainment. The site is full of features as you can play games, listen to music, write things, and change your profile all on the same page.
The chatroom may seem generic, but has various themes and topics. Moreover, Y99 has a dark mode which separates it from any other online chat platform.
Cons
You may get annoyed with constantly appearing pop-up ads that often lead to phishing scams. Another thing that might bother you about Y99 is it is full of bots. In addition, the site lacks smooth navigation.
No, Y99 is not safe for kids! It has no robust security features (except for reporting and blocking) or parental controls, and when you sign up, there is no age verification process, which is a big leeway for the kids who want to lie about their age.
Not only that, but the app’s privacy policy claims that it does not collect personal data from kids under 13. However, in reality, it keeps the data from the kids over that age, exposing your kid’s privacy.
More than that, kids can easily stumble on inappropriate content due to the abundance of annoying ads. Even though the app has age-restricted chatrooms for teens only, it turns out to be pointless for protecting kids.
Thus, I only recommend Y99 chat to kids above 18, and the kids below that must abstain from it.
If your kids plan on using Y99, here are some harmful aspects of the website that you must take note of.
Anonymous Chatting
Y99.in has an anonymous chatting feature that lets your kids talk with strangers. Those strangers are often pedophiles or sexual offenders who lurk around the apps to target little kids. Apart from that, private chat is also an alarming feature where anyone can share anything with your kids, be it explicit content or clickbait ads.
Inappropriate Content
As the app has too many pop-ups, there is a high chance that your child may accidentally encounter some pornographic, violent, or age-inappropriate content while chatting.
Scams and Data Breaches
From my experience, the ads featured on the apps often lead to phishing or malware attacks. Hence, I recommend you tell your kids to be extra careful of these ads while navigating the app.
Criminal Activities
The Y99 user reviews on the website have complained about encountering pedophiles who are looking to trap little kids and forcing them to take part in sextortion and other unethical activities.
To ensure your kids are far away from the lurking eyes of the criminals on Y99 Chat, follow the tips mentioned below.
Ask your kids why they want to use the app, and then look for an alternative option with more security, like Discord, Reddit, or Tumblr.
Get your kids familiar with the potential harms of chatting with strangers to give them a heads-up.
Teach your kids how to report or block offensive content and deal with creepy strangers.
Discuss what is okay and what isn’t to promote responsible online behavior. It will help them spot unhealthy behavior from far away and act accordingly.
Y99 Chat is an amazing app with retro vibes that fit the modern-day texting needs of users. However, as a responsible parent, I recommend you use preventive measures to keep your child safe from the uncertainties of the internet.
Source: Radarro.com