ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As apps continue to change, it’s important for parents to keep track of the apps your kids use and understand how they work.
Here's yet another reminder of why: A 23-year-old man is accused of having sex with a 12-year-old girl after meeting her through the phone app Whisper.
Here are three apps to look out for on your kid’s phone:
Whisper
It lets anyone create anonymous profiles, geo-locate people near them and request to communicate. If the person on the other end is a predator, they can pose as anybody and get important personal information from your kid.
Musical.ly
This app is wildly popular with teenagers that allows kids to create videos of them lip-syncing songs. But according to smartsocial.com, parents reported finding adult video content and suggestive pictures, language and dancing. And if you search for certain key words in the app, your kid may be exposed to inappropriate content.
Kik Messenger
This app allows anyone using the app to contact your kid and directly message them. The problem here is that you don’t know who is contacting your kid and what information they are getting from them.
Many of these apps appear simple enough on their home pages but parents need to know how the app works by using all the chat rooms, live streaming abilities, search bars and features to understand what type of access it gives strangers to your kids.
And keep in mind, there are thousands of apps just like these three that change all the time. So keep checking in with your kids about the risks of talking and sending pictures or videos to strangers.
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