A BBC investigation has highlighted the dangers video apps can pose to under 18s after uncovering an abundance of highly inappropriate content on the Omegle app.

Parents are being warned to check if their own children are using this app. The app claimes to be for users 13 and over, and anyone under 18 should ask for permission before using the app. However this is no age verification process in place, and no process to determine if an under 18 has indeed received parental consent.

There are no shortage of apps, including social apps available to download onto phones and tablets, and it can be a struggle for parents to keep on top of which apps their kids use and what apps they should steer clear from.

And for under 18s, Omegle is very much the latter. Their investigation found that not only were kids who use the app being exposed to unsuitable – often sexual – content, but children themselves were responsible for some of that inappropriate content.

Omegle pairs up random people for video or text chats based on mutual interests inputted by the user, and the app claims to be moderated. However the app has a reputation for shocking and unsuitable content, but this reputation hasn’t stopped the app’s usage almost doubling inside the last year, helped no doubt due to lockdowns across the globe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BBC claimed that during a 10 hour period, their team were paired with 12 males touching themselves, a further 8 who were naked and seven advertisements for adult only websites.

But perhaps most disturbing than that was they were also paired with two boys, both of which appear to be under 18, engaging in sex acts. One identified himself at 14. The BBC state the reported both incidents to authorities.

The BBC investigation also found that the likelihood of being exposed to unsuitable content increased substantially if certain interested were entered into the app.

This in turn will increase the chances that the app will be used by groomers to collect content related to child abuse.

The app’s founder, Leif K Brooks, told the BBC that the app was moderated and users who appeared to be under 13 were blocked. He also claimed his app had generated reports leading to the prosecution of numerous predators.

The full story on the BBC is here.