The Monkey app shares similarities with the now-closed Omegle platform.
While users must be 18, there is no age verification process. This makes it easy for underage users to join Monkey, which can leave them open to potential harm.
Monkey is a live chat app that encourages random video chatting with strangers both locally and globally. Following the closure of Omegle, Monkey quickly grew in popularity. Many now view it as a new alternative.
It is available via web browser and the Google Play Store. However, Apple’s App Store removed the app because of safety concerns.
Users must be at least 18-years-old to use the app. However, there is no age verification process for users to prove they meet this age requirement. Additionally, the app seems more directed towards teens and young adults. This might increase the likelihood of underage users wanting to use the platform.
Once a user signs up, they see two screens. One features their chat histories, private messages and profile while the other encourages you to ‘Start Video Chat’.
Users can choose to start a solo chat — where they chat with stranger on their own. Or, they can invite someone else to join the chat so the two of them chat with a stranger together. You can customise who you want to be match with. However, the app locks these features behind a premium subscription called Monkey Plus.
Monkey will then match you with another user to chat with; you must give camera and microphone permissions. Users can then swipe past matches, learn more about the user or report content. Any user that you connect with will appear in Recent Connects.
Users chat via the microphone or chat function before they swipe to someone new. You can also send a gift to users, which requires the in-app Coins, which cost real money.
The Monkey app has a premium subscription option called Monkey Plus (Monkey+). It unlocks some features like country choice with random chats, unlimited matches and no ads. It automatically renews once purchased.
Users can also purchases Coins to send virtual gifts to other users.
Children and teens should not use the Monkey app. Its terms of service require users to be 18 or older, so there are minimal safety features to protect minors. Additionally, all users face the following risks on Monkey.
With Monkey, users can:
As a result of these features, users can encounter adult content without warning. This might include pornography or other sexual content.
The app boasts robust moderation using machine learning. However, there are reports of sexual adverts as well as pornographic or illegal content shared in video chats. In a lot of cases, the perpetrator might flash this content up with a new random match before disappearing. This means it can be hard to report or track.
Additionally, much of the moderation is in response to rule-breaking rather than prevention.
The Monkey app claims the right to use any “user contributed content” however it likes. So, once a user signs up to Monkey, they grant the platform and its affiliates license to use their content in any way. That means these companies can use images of real people in advertising or elsewhere without users knowing.
Additionally, Monkey collects personal information such as users’ browser IP address, date of birth, location and more. Some of this is information you give while signing up and some requires additional consent.
While Monkey says privacy is a “top priority” for them, their privacy policy doesn’t always support this. Information that you send to another user through the service, for example, might not remain private. The app recommends using “discretion when using the service.”
Even though users know they will be matched with strangers to chat with, they can’t know who is on the other end. Some might want to simply chat with strangers but others might seek to harm.
Some such strangers might target younger users they match with. They might seek to groom users for sexual or illegal purposes. Or, they might seek to exploit users for financial gain.
For vulnerable teens, they might see the extra attention they get as a positive rather than something negative. So, it’s better for them to avoid the platform until they reach the age minimum of 18.
If your child uses or wants to use Monkey app, it’s a good idea to talk with them about it. This can help you understand their needs and agree on safer alternatives.
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