Launched in 2009, the Omegle website has just closed its doors permanently.
A little over ten years ago, the web was shaken up by the arrival of a new phenomenon: Chatroulette. Very simplistic, the website made it possible to connect two random Internet users, to exchange text and video. The “Next” button allowed you to scroll through the correspondents. The principle of video exchange quickly experienced phenomenal success, and was quickly taken up by other platforms, such as Bazoocam or Omegle.
The end for Omegle
Launched at the start of 2019, Omegle (which also inspired Chatroulette) only allowed exchange through written messages. At the beginning of 2010, the platform integrated video… with all that this would entail. Indeed, it is not uncommon to be put in contact with a naked person, and/or ready for exhibitionist activities, protected by the anonymity of the platform.
Created by Leif K-Brooks, then 18 years old, Omegle is said to have generated more than 50 million visitors per month. Over the years, the platform has experienced its share of scandals, notably being the origin of numerous cases linked to child pornography.
Omegle, at the heart of numerous child crime cases
Indeed, according to the BBCOmegle would be involved in more than 50 child criminal cases, the “ predators » having notably encouraged young girls to strip, sometimes using devious means, allowing them in particular to transform their real personality in order to deceive the confidence of their victims.
Leif K-Brooks, however, promises that a human moderation team was present, “ but also cutting-edge artificial intelligence », aiming to ban problematic users as quickly as possible. The latter also explains that the stress and expense of this fight, added to the stress and expense of operating Omegle and fighting its abuse, is simply too great.
According to the creator of the platform: “ Your phone can be used to wish your grandmother a happy birthday, but it can also be used to trigger a bomb threat. There can be no honest account of Omegle without acknowledging that some people have misused it, including to commit unspeakable and heinous crimes. »
The closure of Omegle would result directly from a legal case between the platform and a young plaintiff, who allegedly posed naked in front of a thirty-year-old man, when she was 11 years old.
“ From the bottom of my heart, I thank everyone who has used Omegle for positive purposes and everyone who has contributed to the success of the site in any way. I’m so sorry I couldn’t continue fighting for you. », concludes Leif K-Brooks, indicating that he does not want to be the victim of a heart attack.
Source : BBC
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