There’s something inherently off-putting about adults applying the language of something that is intended for mature audiences to something for children.
Growing up, I had candy that was shaped like cigarettes. Today, video games played by millions of children worldwide are filled with mechanics that are indistinguishable from casino gambling. In the same vein, a French app called Wizz has applied the swipe-based mechanics of dating apps to a social platform for preteens.
It not only sounds bad in theory, but it’s been a disaster in practice, too.
Wizz markets itself as a safe, age-appropriate social app for users as young as 13. It uses the familiar swipe-left-or-right format popularized by Tinder and its legion of clones. The theory is that it’s meant to connect teens with peers their own age.
However, in practice, it’s just another place that adults can masquerade as minors to infiltrate their social circles. It’s got some safeguards, but they appear more cosmetic than functional.
Wizz Is a ‘Tinder for Teens’ App, and It’s as Bad as You’d Expect
That is evidenced by the multiple cases of child sexual abuse that have been linked to Wizz across the United States. The app claims to use “sophisticated AI safety algorithms” to verify ages and sort users accordingly. But real-world cases show those systems are terrible and constantly failing.
In Hawaii, an 11-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted told police she met her attacker on Wizz, where he, a 19-year-old active-duty Marine, allegedly posed as a 15-year-old.
There have been several cases like that involving adults in their 20s pretending to be teens so they can assault minors they met through the app. To test Wizz’s claims, The Hill had a 28-year-old staffer attempt to sign up as a 16-year-old. Despite all its “sophisticated AI safety algorithms,” the app allowed it to happen.
Wizz briefly returned to Apple and Google app stores after promising improved safety measures, even though its makers have yet to definitively prove that it has made or is even willing to make the necessary changes to keep kids safe.
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