Parents – Risky Apps to Watch Out For

Although privacy seems scarce in today’s society, it’s important to keep an eye out for your children on the Internet, especially if they’re of pre-teen or teen age. With the variety of apps and websites your children can access, checking up on them is a must in order to ensure they’re being safe and secure with their information. Here’s a list of the top 5 riskiest apps to watch out for – if you see these on your loved ones’ phones, it’s time to delete them for good.

1. Any apps that conceal pictures/videos such as Calculator%, Audio Manager, or Vaulty

These apps are perfect for hiding nude and/or illegal pictures and videos that your kids wouldn’t want to get caught having.

Although Calculator% looks like a regular calculator application, and even brings up an actual calculator after choosing the icon, by hitting a certain combination of buttons within the app, you can have access to a space to hide risky pictures and videos.

Audio Manager is another unassuming app that can hide dangerous pictures by asking for a password upon pressing the icon.

Vaulty also stores pictures and videos with password protection. However, it also takes a picture of anyone that types in an incorrect password.

2. Blendr

Nearly 330 million people use this app that allows you to chat, date, and meet with others nearby via GPS location services. Since no authentication is required for users to sign up, sexual predators can easily contact unassuming minors.

3. Ask.fm

This application allows users to ask questions anonymously to other users, which seriously encourages cyber bullying. This app has been attributed to 9 suicides through 2012 and can be extremely dangerous if used improperly.

4. Snapchat

As you most likely know, Snapchat is an app that allows you to send pictures and videos to others for a specified number of seconds before it disappears. What people may not know is that these pictures and videos never actually disappear forever – experts can easily access them. Additionally, it’s very easy to screenshot these pictures and videos and send them around to others. There are even websites out there now called “snap porn” where nudes and other risky pictures from Snapchat are posted. Although this app is most likely on your kids’ phones, it’s extremely important to have a talk with them about being safe with what they’re snapping.

5. Burn Note

This app is very similar to Snapchat in that you can send messages to others for a set amount of time before the message disappears. It’s exclusively for messages, not pictures and videos. However, because of this secrecy, your kids may feel comfortable sending messages to others that they normally wouldn’t. It can also facilitate cyber bullying.

Experts say that the best way to monitor your teen or pre-teen’s app habits is to share an iCloud account. This way, whenever your kids download a specific application, it can easily be accessed by you as well. It’s also important to monitor their Internet habits to ensure they’re being safe with their information. After all, it can mean the difference between life and death.