At the very least it’s likely the apps are not effectively screening bots out of conversations. It also seems these apps may feature automated chatbots parading as anonymous responders to prompt interactions – or at least that’s what staff at Tech Crunch found.Īlthough chatbots can be harmless (or even helpful), problems arise if users can’t tell whether they’re interacting with a bot or a person. Yet it appears Sendit can still be linked to Snapchat as a third-party app, so the implementation conditions are variable. Snapchat then banned anonymous messaging from third-party apps in March this year, in a bid to limit bullying and harassment. In the wake of these suspensions, Sendit soared through the app store charts as Snapchat users sought a replacement. Yolo’s developers overestimated the capacity of their automated content moderation to identify harmful messages. In May 2021, Snapchat suspended integrated anonymous messaging apps Yolo and LMK, after being sued by the distraught parents of teens who committed suicide after being bullied through the apps. Rapidly developed social apps can have harmful consequences for young people, including cyberbullying, cyber dating abuse, image-based abuse and even online grooming. Similarly, breaking away from important safeguards online is not without social consequence. This approach, first articulated by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has arguably reached its use-by date.īreaking things in real life is not without consequence. They leverage certain platform principles to provide a highly engaging experience, such as interactivity and gamification (wherein a form of “play” is introduced into non-gaming platforms).Īlso, given their experimental nature, they’re a good example of how social media platforms have historically been developed with a “move fast and break things” attitude. These apps are designed to hook users in. Anonymous question apps are just one example of anonymous online spaces. Anonymous chat app YikYak was shut down in 2017 after becoming littered with hateful speech – but has since returned. NGL exploded in popularity this year, but hasn’t solved the issue of hate speech and bullying.

On one hand, young people are hailed as pioneers of the digital age – and on they other, we fear for them as its innocent victims.Ī recent TechCrunch article chronicled the rapid uptake of anonymous question apps by young users, and raised concerns about transparency and safety. We now have a generation of kids growing up with the internet. They promise to offer the very things young people seek: opportunities for self-expression and authentic encounters.

Anonymous question apps provide this space. And research has shown online anonymity enhances self-disclosure and honesty.įor young people, having online spaces to express themselves away from the adult gaze is important. This means they’re likely to present themselves differently online to their parents than they are to their peers.ĭigital cultures have long used online anonymity to separate real-world identities from online personas, both for privacy and in response to online surveillance. We also know they manage online disclosures of their identity and personal life through a technique sociologists call “audience segregation”, or “code switching”. These networks connect them with their peers, support their journeys towards forming identity, and provide them space for experimentation, creativity and bonding. We know teens are drawn to social platforms. Screenshot/Google Play Store Why are they so popular? The app NGL is targeted at ‘teens’ on the Google app store. Here’s my take on why anonymous question apps have once again taken the internet by storm, and what their impact might be. As a sociologist of technology, I’ve studied human-technology encounters in contentious environments. These platforms have a troublesome history. Early examples include ASKfm, launched in 2010, and, launched in 2009 (as “Fromspring”). These apps can be linked to users’ Instagram and Snapchat accounts, allowing them to post questions and receive anonymous answers from followers.Īlthough they’re trending at the moment, it’s not the first time we’ve seen them. The latter has been installed 15 million times globally, according to recent reports. We’ve recently seen this through the resurgence of anonymous question apps targeting young people, including Sendit and NGL (which stands for “not gonna lie”). Have you ever told a stranger a secret about yourself online? Did you feel a certain kind of freedom doing so, specifically because the context was removed from your everyday life? Personal disclosure and anonymity have long been a potent mix laced through our online interactions.

Does sendit have bots