A new app available to kids are young as 13 is being marketed as ‘Tinder for Teenagers’, and the NSPCC is worried predators will use it to groom kids.
The app known as Yellow is the second most popular free app on the UK apple store, and just like Tinder, users swipe left or right depending on whether they like the photo.
When they do come across someone they like, users can instantly connect on Snapchat. However, the app doesn’t require age verification, something that the NSPCC is looking for.
“Yellow's settings that enable adults to view children, through a service blatantly aimed at flirting and relationships, create an opportunity for sexual predators to target young people,” a spokesperson for the charity told the Telegraph.
"We want age verification measures in the Digital Economy Bill that will stop under-18s accessing porn websites to be extended to cover social networking platforms.
“This would mean adults would not be able to pose as children or vice versa, and any operator that failed to comply could face fines or be blocked from operating in the UK."
The developers of Yellow, which is described as "an easy and free way to make new chat friends", told The Times they would change the settings so people who sign up as adults cannot change their date of birth to view children’s profiles without providing identification.
They said they wouldn't, however, be verifying ages on sign-up.
