Yubo, who is already enjoying some success in the App Store and Google Play Store, has climbed the download charts since news reports surfaced that the Uvalde, Texas shooter was using it. Check out this application, which takes to the air of Tinder for friendship.
Far from being known as large social network applications like YouTube, Facebook or TikTok, Yubo, formerly known as Yellow, still attracts a large audience, made up mainly of young people.
Created in 2015 by engineering students in France, the mobile application aims to be a matchmaker of friendship for young people. As with the popular dating app Tinder, you can scroll through profiles and chat with people you have common interests with.
Check out this post on InstagramA post shared by Yubo (@yubo_app)
Yubo users, especially teenagers, can chat live or via video, in groups of up to 10 people. Therefore, there is no public thread selected by the algorithms with which we can interact. The software also does not display ads.
Some media called him a Tinder for teens. According to expert site TechCrunch, nearly 99% of the platform’s followers are generation Z, i.e., people aged 13 to 25 years.
The youths contacted the shooter
Uvalde’s shooter used this application, and several Internet users with whom he contacted indicated that he showed alarming signals, according to several American media reports, including New York TimesThe Washington Post at Vice.
A 15-year-old girl living in Germany told New York Times that Salvador Ramos, the shooter, told him about his shooting plans, and showed him his guns, but he did not believe him.
Another 16-year-old, in confidence this time on Washington Post, indicated that the shooter drew the ire of Internet users by showing dead cats and threatening to rape girls. This person stated that despite several reports to Yubo, the platform did not block his account.
Salvador Ramos ’Yubo profile was also deactivated nearly four days after the massacre that left 21 dead, including 19 children, in Texas.
Under the spotlight
This isn’t the first time the app has been in the hot seat. Some media have alerted parents to the dangers of this application, which can easily contact an adult and a minor. A 26-year-old man was also arrested in 2019 for attempting to meet a 12-year-old girl he was talking to on the app.
Yubo states on its site that it has implemented new age verification techniques, including the use of artificial intelligence for moderating discussions.
In December 2019, Yubo announced that the Canadian population represents 10% of application users, compared to 40% of United States followers.
At the time of this writing, the Yubo app is ranked 22nd among the social networking apps of the App Store.
Source: Radio-Canada
