Police warn parents against 14 apps that put children at risk |



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(WNEM / Meredith) – Authorities warn parents in the country about 14 applications that could put children at risk.

The Auxiliary Police Association of Fairview Park, Ohio, and the Sheriff's Office of the County of Escambia, Alabama, said that as children grow older and become more independent, parents should use caution when deciding on applications that allow children to install on their devices.

Police said some apps may be dangerous and expose children to a range of dangerous content, ranging from bullying to unwanted sex messages. Some applications may even tell strangers the location of the phone.

The Fairview Park Auxiliary Police Association has listed some steps you can take to protect your children:

• Approve each app on your child's phone

• Adjust privacy settings

• Talk with your kids about using the phone, apps and social media

• Find out which apps are popular in your area

14 police applications said that parents should be aware

BUMBLE is similar to the popular Tinder dating app. However, women must make the first contact to protect them from unwanted advances from men. Children use Bumble to create fake accounts and falsify their age.

LIVE.ME is a live streaming video application that uses geolocation to share videos so that users can know the exact location of the broadcaster. Users can earn "coins" as a way to "pay" minors for photos.

ASK.FM is notorious for cyber-bullying problems. The app encourages users to allow anonymous people to ask them questions and get an answer. This app has been linked to the most serious form of cyber-bullying: Business Insider reports that 9 teenage suicides have been linked to cyberbullying on this app.

Snapchat is one of the most popular applications of 2019. Although the application promises that users can take a photo / video and that it will disappear, recent features, including "stories", allow users to view content for up to 24 hours. Snapchat also allows users to see your location unless you change your privacy settings.

HOLLA is a self-proclaimed "addictive" video chat application that allows users to meet people from all over the world in seconds. Critics say they have been confronted with racial slurs, explicit content, and so on.

CALCULATOR% is one of the many secret applications used to hide photos, videos, files and browser history. This app looks like a calculator but works like a secret photo safe.

KIK allows anyone to contact and direct a message to a user. Kids can bypass traditional text messaging features. KIK gives users unlimited access to anyone, anywhere, and anytime. Keep in mind, this application has built-in applications and web content that would be filtered on a home computer.

WHISPER is an anonymous social network that encourages the sharing of secrets with strangers. It also indicates the position of the user so that people can meet.

HOT OR NOT encourages users to rate your profile, check people in their area, and chat with strangers. The purpose of this app is to connect and evaluate others based on their appearance.

Omegle is a free online chat site that encourages anonymous chat with strangers.

YELLOW is an application designed to allow teens to flirt with each other in a Tinder-like atmosphere.

BURN BOOK publishes anonymous rumors about people through audio messages, text messages and photos.

BOOM is an application that allows users to compare the photos of each and evaluate them on a scale.

INSTAGRAM is one of the most popular apps of 2019. Kids now create fake accounts and use fake names to hide content from parents. Kids also like to send SMS with Instagram because the messages are deleted as soon as a user leaves the conversation.

Police said these are just a few examples of potentially dangerous apps and that parents should look at all apps to see if they offer messaging features.

According to police, monitoring your child's phone and apps is the best defense against potential predators.

Copyright 2019 WNEM (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

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