There are two new social media apps that are not appropriate for our young children to use which parents/carers need to be aware of.

The first app is called NGL (Not Gonna Lie) which is an anonymous question and answer site. The National Online Safety team have produced an information leaflet identifying the risks and some advice for parents and carers.

The second app is called Likee which is a video sharing app which is similar to tiktok and very risky for children. The Qustodio website have shared some information about the app and its risks:

Why the Likee app is dangerous for kids!

Likee is an unsafe environment for children, even if they’re just browsing, but especially if they’re uploading their own content. Unlike with other social platforms like TikTok and Instagram, you cannot make your Likee account private. This means that young children can easily create an account, and start interacting with strangers in seconds, in comments sections or by uploading their own videos.

For every innocent video of a dance trend, or recipe instructions, you’ll find yourself swiping through a landslide of inappropriate content uploaded to the Likee feed. In Qustodio testing, we browsed Likee extensively, but even within the first few minutes of use, we were met with:

Overtly sexual imagery and suggestive language, Videos of minors engaging in suggestive acts, Violence, Inappropriate language, Insulting and derogatory comments on videos of minors, Suggestive comments on videos of minors

Plus, there’s no way of telling who’s behind the profile when interacting with users on Likee, and the gifting system means younger users could be easily coerced, bribed, or manipulated.