The Risks of MeetMe App: What Parents Need to Know to Keep Kids Safe

"Say a man and a woman both need something to sleep in and both go to the same men's pajama department. The man says to the salesman, "I just need bottoms," and the woman says, "I just need a top." They look at each other and that's the 'meet cute."   Arthur Abbott – The Holiday (2006)

Dating has transformed from chaperones and parental oversight to the carefree ambiance of drive-in movies in the 1950s and 60s. Each era brought its flair, with the 90s introducing digital connections through AOL chats and mixtapes. Today, technology continues to reshape dating, offering platforms for easy connections, transcending geographical boundaries, and opening a world of possibilities in our fast-paced society.

There are many dating apps available today. The MeetMe app lives up to its name, emphasizing its purpose with the tagline "chat and meet new people." Founded by two US high school students in 2005, the platform debuted as MyYearbook, resembling the early days of Facebook. However, a transformation occurred in 2012 when it rebranded as MeetMe. Over time, the platform evolved, accumulating a purported "40 million users." 

Unlike other apps that connect users with known acquaintances, MeetMe facilitates introductions to strangers nearby, fostering connections with new "friends" rather than existing contacts.

While it may seem harmless at first glance, MeetMe poses significant risks, especially for young users. In this article, we'll explore the dangers of MeetMe and provide essential tips for parents to keep their kids protected while using the app.

Dangers Of Meeting Strangers Online

While the idea of meeting complete strangers online can be enticing, it's essential to recognize the inherent dangers that accompany such interactions, particularly on platforms like MeetMe. Despite its seemingly innocuous premise, such apps can pose significant risks, especially for young users who may be more vulnerable to exploitation and harm. Here are some common dangers of meeting strangers online:

Encounter with Malicious Individuals: Dating and social media sites expose users, particularly young ones, to the risk of encountering predators, scammers, and cyberbullies who exploit the platform's anonymity for deceptive and harmful purposes.

Impact on Mental Well-being: The pressure to maintain a favorable online persona and the constant comparison to others' curated profiles can contribute to feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and depression, particularly among adolescents navigating the complexities of self-identity and social acceptance.

Exposure to Inappropriate Content: Most online dating sites have limited content moderation may expose users, including minors, to inappropriate content such as nudity, pornography, violence, and drug-related material, which can negatively influence their behavior and values.

Potential for Exploitation: The anonymity of online interactions can embolden individuals to engage in predatory behavior, targeting vulnerable users for exploitation and abuse, including grooming for sexual exploitation or financial scams.

Impact on Social Interactions: Excessive reliance on online interactions through online apps and sites may detract from real-world social interactions and hinder the development of essential social skills, leading to feelings of isolation and disconnect from offline relationships.

Specific MeetMe Dangers

MeetMe, a popular social networking and dating app, poses several dangers that users, especially younger ones, should be aware of. Parents should educate themselves and their children about the potential dangers of MeetMe and take proactive measures to ensure a safer online experience.

MeetMe Time Sink: Apps like MeetMe can lead to excessive time wastage. Users, especially children, may spend valuable study and leisure hours on the app, often joining solely to pass the time.

MeetMe Online Predators: The app's open nature exposes users, particularly minors, to the risk of being targeted by predators and scammers due to its unrestricted chat, meet, and date functionalities. With features like MeetMe live video chat and the AskMe feature, users can easily connect with strangers, increasing the risk of encountering inappropriate content or individuals with malicious intent.

MeetMe News Feed Exposure: MeetMe offers a news feed feature that allows users to share public status updates to people in the geographic neighbourhood. These posts may disclose location clues or contain inappropriate content. Since the app connects individuals based on location, there's a genuine risk of exposing oneself to predators in real life through the news feed.  

MeetMe Content Filtration: The lack of robust content filtration for adult scenes on MeetMe results in a proliferation of inappropriate content, posing a significant risk to teens' and children's well-being and moral development. Concerns about nudity and pornography on MeetMe further underscore the need for vigilant monitoring and parental controls.

MeetMe Security: MeetMe lacks adequate cyberbullying policies, making users susceptible to harassment and abuse from scammers and fake profiles, who may manipulate individuals into sharing explicit photos for blackmail or harassment.

MeetMe Privacy: Privacy concerns arise from MeetMe's policy of requiring users to divulge personal preferences and photos, compromising their safety and security by exposing such information to strangers on a public platform. This violates The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which strives to protect the privacy of children under 13 by moderating the collection of personal information online.

MeetMe Age Verification: Despite MeetMe's minimum age requirement of 13, there is no age-verification process in place, increasing the risk for younger users who may be exposed to improper content or interactions.

MeetMe Stranger Danger: The app contradicts conventional safety guidelines by encouraging interaction with strangers, potentially exposing users, particularly children, to risks associated with engaging with unknown individuals.

MeetMe's gamified features: Features like speed dating incentivize rapid interactions with the opposite sex in exchange for credits, trivializing the seriousness of forming connections and potentially leading to real-life consequences. The MeetMe blind date game adds another layer of risk by potentially exposing users to unknown individuals in real-life meetings. The platform's virtual currency system may incentivize users to engage in risky behavior to earn rewards.

As early as 2014, MeetMe was sued by the City Attorney of San Francisco, Dennis Herrera, after sex offenses were linked to MeetMe members. A 29-year-old guy used MeetMe to send obscene photographs and texts to children. Another 21-year-old was arrested for posing as a 16-year-old to deceive two minors into performing sexual acts with him. 

The City Attorney said, "An average teenager creating a MeetMe account would not understand from the tangled web of ambiguous and misleading statements MeetMe provides that s/he is allowing MeetMe to collect geolocation and mobile device identification data, share that information with other unidentified users and send that information to third party contractors."

Reference: Don’t Meet Them, SF Official Tells Teens | Courthouse News Service. 

Tips for Parental Control on MeetMe

Opting out of using the app could be the optimal online safety precaution. Safeguarding children and adolescents from potential hazards by blocking MeetMe and similar apps on iOS and Android devices is crucial. Below are the steps to block MeetMe on both iOS and Android platforms:

For iOS Devices:

1. Navigate to Settings on the device.
2. Select Screen Time.
3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
4. Activate the feature by toggling the switch.
5. Choose Allowed Apps.
6. Turn off MeetMe.

For Android Devices:

1. Access Google Play Store.
2. Tap the three-line icon on the top-left corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Scroll down and opt for Parental controls.
5. Enable parental controls and establish a PIN.
6. Define content restrictions and designate apps like MeetMe for restriction.

• Nevertheless, if parents opt to permit their children to use it, they should maintain a vigilant stance and establish specific guidelines and online rules.

• Discuss the risks of interacting with strangers and sharing personal information with your adolescent.

• Encourage them to seek friendships in safe environments such as after-school clubs, youth groups, sports teams, and other supervised activities.

• If you suspect your teen is using MeetMe, have an open conversation and explain the potential dangers.

• Investigate any information your teen may have shared on the app and whether strangers have contacted them.

• Take appropriate action if your teen is targeted by potential predators, including possibly involving authorities.

• Seek guidance from reliable sources before uninstalling the app to ensure you have all the necessary information.

• Conduct regular safety checks on your teen's smartphones and internet-enabled devices to prevent exposure to harmful applications.

• Teach them to trust their instincts. If something feels wrong or uncomfortable online, they should seek guidance from a trusted adult.

• Parents are also advised to use parental control software like Mobicip to protect their children from harm online.

Mobicip to the Rescue

Mobicip is a powerful tool designed to empower parents to safeguard their children's online experiences. With its comprehensive suite of features, Mobicip offers robust protection against inappropriate content and ensures a safer digital environment for kids.

• Content Filtering: Mobicip employs advanced content filtering algorithms to block access to websites and apps that contain inappropriate content, including explicit material, violence, and other potentially harmful content.

• Customizable Settings: Parents have the flexibility to customize settings according to their child's age, interests, and individual needs. They can set specific filters and restrictions tailored to their family's values and preferences.

• Time Management: Mobicip enables parents to set time limits for their child's online activities, helping to stop excessive screen time and foster a healthy balance between digital and offline pursuits.

• App Monitoring and Blocking: With Mobicip, parents can monitor their child's app usage and block access to specific apps they deem inappropriate or unsafe.

• Browsing History and Reports: Mobicip provides detailed insights into your child's online activities, including browsing history and app usage. Parents can review reports to better understand their child's digital habits and address any concerns that may arise.

• Multi-Platform Support: Mobicip is compatible with various devices and platforms, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. This ensures consistent protection across all of your child's devices.

• Remote Management: Parents can manage Mobicip settings remotely through a user-friendly dashboard, allowing them to adjust and monitor their child's online activities from anywhere.

Mobicip offers parents comprehensive protection and peace of mind, allowing them to confidently navigate the digital landscape while keeping their children safe from online threats and inappropriate content.

Take Away

Protecting your child online is not just a choice; it's a responsibility. With Mobicip, you can take proactive steps to ensure their safety and well-being in the digital world. Don't wait until it's too late – take action today to safeguard your child's online experience. Start a 7 day free trial to know how Mobicip can help protect your family online. Together, let's create a safer digital future for our children.

FAQ

Here are answers to some common questions about MeetMe:

Is MeetMe a dating app?

Yes, MeetMe is primarily known as a social networking and dating app. It allows users to meet new people, chat, and engage in various social activities, including dating.

How old do you have to be to use MeetMe?

According to MeetMe's Terms of Service, users must be at least 13 years old to create an account. But then, individuals between the ages of 13 and 17 are considered minors and are subject to additional safety and privacy measures.

How do you delete your MeetMe account?

To delete your MeetMe account, follow these steps:

• Log in to your MeetMe account.
• Go to your "Settings" or "Account Settings" page.
• Look for the option to "Deactivate Account" or "Delete Account."
• Follow the prompts to confirm the deletion of your account.
• Remember deleting your account will permanently remove all your information and activities from MeetMe, and you won't be able to recover them.

How to report someone on MeetMe?

If you encounter a user behaving inappropriately, violating MeetMe's community guidelines, or engaging in suspicious or harmful activities, you can report them.

• To report a user, go to their profile page.
• Look for the three dots or ellipsis (…) icon, typically in the profile's upper-right corner.
• Click on the icon to reveal a menu of options.
• Select the "Report" option from the menu.
• Follow the prompts to provide details about why you are reporting the user.
• MeetMe will review your report and take appropriate action if necessary.

How to Block Someone on MeetMe?

If you want to prevent a specific user from contacting you or interacting with your profile on MeetMe, you can block them

• To block a user, go to their profile page.
• Look for the three dots or ellipsis (…) icon, usually in the profile's upper-right corner.
• Click on the icon to reach the menu of options.
• Select the "Block" option from the menu.
• Confirm your decision to block the user.

Once blocked, the user can no longer send you messages, view your profile, or interact with you on MeetMe.

Writing credit: Authored by Lakshmi, a Mobicip mom who researches extensively on digital citizenship and internet safety.