Omegle, a popular live video chat website, is closing down after 14 years due to user reports of abuse.
The service, which allowed users to interact with random strangers online, gained popularity, especially among children and young people during the pandemic.
Omegle’s closure was announced with an image of its logo on a gravestone.
Founder Leif K Brooks explained that running the website was no longer financially or psychologically sustainable.
This decision comes as social media platforms face increased scrutiny from regulators worldwide.
Ofcom recently issued guidance for tech platforms to comply with the UK Online Safety Act, focusing on issues like online grooming.
Omegle has faced controversy, including a case where a young American accused the platform of pairing her with a pedophile when she was a minor.
The lawsuit was filed ten years later in November 2021, with Omegle’s legal team arguing that the website was not responsible for the incident.
Founder Brooks acknowledged that some people misused the platform for heinous acts.
He also mentioned a “constant barrage of attacks on communication services” by a malicious subset of users.
The stress and expenses associated with these challenges, along with the operation of Omegle and combating its misuse, became overwhelming, leading to the decision to shut down the service.
Users on social media shared their favorite memories of Omegle, expressing a mix of surprise and nostalgia.
The BBC found that Omegle was mentioned in over 50 cases against pedophiles in various countries.
TikTok banned sharing links to Omegle in 2021 after a BBC investigation revealed instances of children exposing themselves to strangers on the website.
The Internet Watch Foundation noted a significant increase in imagery of children engaged in sexual acts on camera during the pandemic, with over 63,000 webpages showing such material in 2022 compared to 5,000 before the lockdowns.
Source-BBC
