A report has been submitted from the Multiagency Child Exploitation Hub (MACE) regarding the exploitative risks posed by YUBO. This application presents high risks to young people exposing them to potential chid sexual exploitation.
What is Yubo?
Yubo is a social media platform, available on iOS and Android. It’s free to use, with a range of additional features – known as ‘Powers’ – available to purchase on a monthly subscription. Yubo features live streaming and is extremely popular among young people, with 4.7 million users in the UK alone.
It has been involved in controversy since it launched (originally under the name Yellow), being dubbed by media as “Tinder for teens” due to its swipe-to-match functionality which mimics the adult dating app.
Despite being age-rated 13+, Yubo has been criticised for the way some young users have been exposed to inappropriate content and harassment. This has led to some schools issuing warnings advising parents against allowing their children to use the app. Users connect and chat one-to-one or in groups. Users can also start and join live-streaming video chats known as ‘lives’. These lives can feature up to 10 streamers (those who are broadcasting) and an unlimited number of viewers.
More Information
Below are a list of documents with more information about the report along with other resources and information about online safety.