Omegle: Talk to Strangers

     Omegle is an online video chat website. You can either video call or text. It was created in March 2009. The website states that its sole function is to  “match users at random for one-on-one video chat”. You can talk to people around the world. It is a very popular app to use during sleepovers or when you are bored with friends. It might seem very fun to make friends with new people it’s very dangerous. 

     What’s so dangerous about Omegle?  The app is known for having many predators. I have used the app before and there are so many young children and older adults. It’s not safe for young children to be talking to strangers around the world. In 2021, a woman sued Omegle because when she was 11 she got put into a chat with a man who sexually exploited her. The app is not very monitored because it’s just “a stranger”. You don’t have to sign up or log in. It's anonymous. Omegle is also an easy target for cyberbullying because people are so mean. The app was used all over the world. It was full of many different cultures and people. There are so many gross people on the internet and that’s why Omegle is not very safe.  

     One reason why Omegle was so popular is, that many YouTubers make videos about Omegle. More specifically, Children's content Youtubers. That introduces minors to Omegle. Most of the videos show the good and funny side of Omegle. Then it makes them think it’s okay to use the app. Another reason is that it’s a pretty popular app to use when you are with your friends. I have only used it with my friends. We have spent many hours talking to random people and making friends with people. Even though It wasn’t safe, I thought it was really fun. 

     On November 9th, 2023, Omegle shut down after running for 14 years. This left many fans of Omegle devastated. The creator of the website wrote a very long message to the people about why the app shut down. He wrote, “There can be no honest accounting of Omegle without acknowledgment that some people misused it, including to commit unspeakably heinous crimes”. The creator knew that the app wasn’t safe. There have been so many lawsuits from horrible situations. Omegle doesn’t have any ads and it doesn’t need a subscription, it didn’t make much money and there were expensive lawsuits. 

     I personally think that it was the right thing to shut down Omegle. It was a very interesting website, but I think it has made the internet much more safer. Over the past 14 years, the internet has changed so much. People are creepy and mean. 

 

Sources: 

https://www.npr.org/2023/11/09/1211807851/omegle-shut-down-leif-k-brooks 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67364634 

https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/news-blogs/what-is-omegle-what-parents-need-to-know/#:~:text=Launched%20in%20March%202009%2C%20Omegle,from%20anywhere%20in%20the%20world.  

Picture Cred. Omegle's website.

Do you think Omegle is safe? 

Have you ever used Omegle? 

Do you think the creater did the right thing by shutting the website down?

Photograph included in Omegle statement of closure.

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Replies

  • Great topic choice and wqell done!

  • I personally do not think that Omegle is a very safe website in my opinion. I have personally not used it before, but there are some very creepy stories from people that have used it before. I think the creator of the website made the right decision by taking down the website. 

  • I don't think Omegle is very safe. I've used Omegle before and I've been traumatized by it. It just isn't a good platform for anyone. It was very inappropriate and some too many adults did weird stuff on it. I belive the creator made the right choice to shut it down, it was getting out of hand. 

  • No, I don't think omegle is very safe. Yes, I have used omegle before when I was younger and it was kind of creepy. Yes I think the creater made a good choice of shutting the website down. I think omegle was a very easy way to get yourself into a bad situation. 

    • I have only used omegle durring my teens, I feel like if I've used the app when I was a kid it would have been really bad. 

  • I think that Omegle getting shut down was the best option. As you have probably heard there are many dangers and many risky people using the app. I don't think this website was safe just due to the risks that come with talking to complete strangers. 

  • I think that the creator did a good thing by shutting down the website because sometimes the website was used for the wrong things. Especially since sometimes there wre kids that were using the site and at times innappropriate stuff would be on the site. I barely used omegle, but whenever I did it was weird and at times funny.

    • I agree with you. I feel like the creator did the right thing by shutting down omegle. The app was used wrongly. Im sad its gone but I think its for the best.

  • Given the situation the website was already facing, I think it was the right call to shut down the site. If it had just started with safer security it might have been able to continue existing.

  • I think that Omegle was starting to be used for the wrong reasons, and was very innapropriate for a lot of young people to be using. I think that it was the right thing for it to shut down. It might have been fun for some people, but it was dangerous for others. 

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