Random Chat Rooms, Apps and Websites

Gooseberry Planet have been contacted by several schools raising awareness and sharing their current concerns regarding Online Grooming and inappropriate contact online. Children are unknowingly putting themselves at risk by downloading and accessing free chat rooms, apps and websites that support random messaging, voice and video chat. This type of Social Networking promotes random and often sexualised contact with people online. Other risks also include signing up and sharing personal details. Children are encountering random people, some of whom are within 5 miles of them. Random chat apps and websites use webcams which allow the chat to be recorded, shared and saved. Popular random chat apps to be aware of are TinyChat, Omegle, Chatroulette, Anybodyoutthere and YikYak but there are many more. It is important that we educate ourselves and our children to make responsible and safer decisions online, recognise the signs of Online Grooming and know who to go to for help.