Sextortion dangers

KPS: Tinder style app for teens poses some danger

Kingston Police and Cybertip.ca are urging parents and caregivers to check if their children are using the Wizz™ app, a chat platform that has amassed millions of users. Due to rising concerns over its potential dangers, authorities are recommending the removal of the app from children's phones.

What is Wizz?

Wizz is a chat app that combines features similar to those seen on Tinder® (swiping through profiles) and Omegle® (connecting strangers in video chats). Omegle recently shut down following a lawsuit over child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Key Concerns for Parents

Sextortion, a form of blackmail involving intimate images, is a major concern with apps like Wizz. Predators use accounts with stolen images to pose as peers, tricking youths into sending nude images or money. These predators often create a false sense of security by sending nudes first (usually images of a random teen girl) or pretending to share mutual interests.

Why Wizz is a Concern

Since 2021, Cybertip.ca has received over 180 reports concerning Wizz, with a tenfold increase in reports from 2022 to 2023. Wizz has the fastest-growing number of reports compared to any other platform. Of these reports, 91% involved sextortion, predominantly victimizing males (93% of known cases), with most victims aged 15-17.

Wizz allows users to share personal information on their profiles, such as location and interests. Sextorters exploit this information, setting their location to the same province or mentioning shared interests to build trust. Wizz also allows users to link other social media profiles, like Snapchat, facilitating further victimization across multiple platforms.

Age Verification Issues

Wizz claims to use age verification via artificial intelligence that estimates age from a selfie. However, this process is unreliable. Cybertip.ca analysts aged 23 and 25 successfully created accounts posing as 16-year-old males. Furthermore, young offenders can still access the app, making age estimation an ineffective safety measure.

Recommended Actions

Police and Cybertip.ca advise all parents and caregivers to consider removing Wizz from their children’s phones. They recommend discussing the risks associated with Wizz and similar apps with teens to ensure their safety online.