MONKEY
MONKEY
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MINIMUM AGE: 13+
WHAT IS IT? Monkey is a social networking platform designed to connect users via short video chats, often with strangers. It’s been compared to apps like Omegle or Chatroulette and is marketed as a place for teens to “make new friends” through random live video calls. Users can add each other on Snapchat or other platforms after chatting. WHAT WE SAY: Avoid 🛡️Is the Monkey app safe? The simple answer is No. Children and teens should not use the Monkey app. Its terms of service require users to be 18 or older. There are minimal safety features to protect minors. 🔞 Exposure to Inappropriate Content Monkey is widely reported to expose users — especially minors — to sexually explicit content, nudity, drug use, and adult conversations within seconds of joining. Despite an age limit, it lacks effective moderation to enforce this, and users can easily lie about their age. 🔐 Privacy Concerns The app collects significant personal and device data, including facial imagery, chat recordings, and potentially identifiable information. Users often link their Snapchat or Instagram, making it easy for strangers to contact them beyond the app. 📱 Predatory Behaviour & Grooming Risks Monkey has been flagged by child protection advocates as a high-risk environment for predatory behaviour. Adults posing as teens can easily access the platform and engage in inappropriate or harmful conversations with children. 🚨 Sexual Content & Inappropriate Exposure Many users have reported being flashed or sexually harassed during video calls. Monkey does not have robust reporting, content filtering, or age verification systems, which means teens are at serious risk of exposure to sexual exploitation. 🧠 Mental Health & Emotional Harm Unfiltered interactions, body shaming, bullying, or inappropriate sexual comments during video calls can have serious emotional consequences for teens. Users report feelings of anxiety, disgust, or low self-esteem after sessions. ⚠️ Misinformation & Peer Pressure Monkey users may encounter fake identities, dangerous dares, or pressure to share personal photos or videos. Without adult supervision, young users can be tricked or manipulated by others for harmful or exploitative purposes. 🧑💻 Lack of Moderation Monkey is notorious for lax moderation. Inappropriate content, fake profiles, or offensive behavior often go unchecked. There’s little to no real-time intervention when something harmful happens on a call. 🔓 Risk of Sextortion, Scams & Identity Theft The app is a known target for sextortion scams. Strangers may pressure users to share explicit content and then threaten to leak it unless paid. Others may use deepfakes or stolen content to impersonate or manipulate users. 🚫 No Reliable Safeguards There’s no parental control or AI-based filtering in place to protect young users from risky content. “Friend-matching” features may sound innocent but often lead to interactions with older individuals pretending to be teens. ✅ No Real-Time GPS Sharing Monkey does not display your live location to others on a map. ⚠️ But it can access contextual location data if permissions are granted, and users often share location info unintentionally through conversations or social media handles. 📹 Live Streaming Live streaming is the main feature of Monkey. Users are matched randomly with others for real-time video chats, typically lasting 15–60 seconds, with the option to extend. Live streaming opens users up to real-time grooming attempts, manipulation, or harassment, especially since Monkey connects strangers randomly and allows sharing of contact info. |
🛡️SAFETY TIPS:
📲Understand the app: Familiarise yourself with Grok's features and how they work. Knowing how the app works will help you guide your child effectively. 👨👧Parental supervision: Check their interactions and adjust privacy settings accordingly. Try to stay up-to-date on Internet trends and best practices. 📢Underage Accounts: Grok might have an age restriction but it lacks a proper age verification process. Therefore, there’s little stopping users from faking their dates of birth or creating bogus profiles and targetting children and young people. 👥Manage friend requests: Teach your child only to accept friend requests from people they know in real life. 📷 Cover the Webcam When Not in Use Physically cover your camera when you're not ready to go live. Always be mindful of what’s visible in your background—it can reveal location clues. 🧠 Trust Your Instincts If something feels uncomfortable, it is uncomfortable. Leave the chat immediately and don’t engage with users who seem suspicious, aggressive, or inappropriate. 🖥️ Place Devices in Shared Spaces Keep internet-connected devices in living rooms or kitchens, not bedrooms. This makes risky behavior less likely and easier to notice. 🙋♀️Conversations: Have open discussions with children and young people about the topics associated with online use - bullying, grooming, sexual and criminal exploitation, body image, as well as accessing support and how to report. 🚨 Know the Signs of Trouble Watch for behaviour changes—like anxiety, secrecy, mood swings, or suddenly deleting apps. These can signal something inappropriate happened online. 💬Conversations: Have open discussions with children and young people about the topics associated with online use - bullying, grooming, sexual and criminal exploitation, body image, as well as accessing support and how to report. FURTHER SUPPORT: For parents/ carers If you're worried about your child or need support call NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. If you discover criminal content when online then report it directly to the police or the Internet Watch Foundation. If you're worried about online grooming or sexual behaviour online then report directly to the police or contact CEOP. For Children & young people if they're worried or want to talk, encourage them to contact Childline Online or call 0800 1111. Check out our Resource Centre for further information and useful online safety tips. 
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