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How your child might be vulnerable
The sign up page on the Omegle website states, ‘Predators have been known to use Omegle, so please be careful’. While chats are anonymous, anyone, but particularly children and young people, are at risk of being involved in conversations and/or behaviours that are inappropriate.
The anonymity of Omegle means children can be exploited in a number of ways. Children can be coerced into performing sexual acts by older users. If this is recorded via third party software, the footage could be held against them and used as blackmail.
The ‘Video’ chat function not only carries the risk of children being exposed to inappropriate visual content from strangers but it opens up the possibility of videos being recorded and distributed without the user’s consent.
Investigations have taken place linked to child abuse on Omegle, as well as reports of cyberbullying, extremist views, racism and various scams.