Parents: Try an app yourself before allowing your children access to it. Read online reviews to see what other users say about it.
Congress passes law on online safety for children
Congress has passed a new bill to increase children’s safety on social media.
I frequently write about settlements between the FTC and companies it alleges wrongdoing, and the allegations in a recent case brought jointly with the Los Angeles District Attorney are particularly troubling.
For the first time, the FTC has banned an anonymous messaging app from being used by users under 18.
Launched in 2021, NGL: ask me anything app allows users to receive anonymous messages from their friends and social media followers.
“NGL” is short for “not gonna lie” on social media. Users typically post links to their NGL inbox on their Instagram accounts and invite others to anonymously send questions or comments about them.
NGL marketed the app as a “safe place for teens” and claimed to use “best-in-class AI content moderation” to combat cyberbullying and other types of harm associated with similar products.
A user who received a response to a prompt posted on NGL saw an advertisement encouraging them to purchase the NGL Pro service to find out the sender’s identity. NGL Pro costs up to $9.99 per week.
These are the company’s illegal actions
The FTC and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office accused NGL of violating a number of laws:
- They actively promote their service to children despite being aware of the dangers of similar services. Families have sued other apps because their children committed suicide after being bullied there.
- False claim that the AI content moderation program filters out cyberbullying and other harmful messages. NBC News tested the app in 2022 and found that it filtered out “KYS,” which stands for “kill yourself,” but not more routine bullying phrases like “everyone hates you.”
- Sending fake messages that appear to be from real people to generate more interest in the app, such as “I know what you did” and “Are you straight?”
- Users were tricked into taking out a paid subscription to NGL Pro by falsely promising that the identity of the sender of the messages would be revealed, but in reality they only received useless clues such as the sender’s approximate location. NGL executives dismissed consumers who complained as “suckers.” Many users were unaware that they were signing up for a weekly recurring fee.
- Not obtaining verifiable parental consent to collect and use data from children under 13. Apps and other online services are required to do so under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
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NGL has to pay a million dollar fine
FTC Chair Lina Khan said, “NGL marketed its app to children and teens despite knowing it would expose them to cyberbullying and harassment. Given NGL’s reckless disregard for children’s safety, the FTC’s order would prohibit NGL from marketing or offering its app to anyone under 18. We will continue to crack down on companies that unlawfully exploit children for profit.”
The settlement with the FTC and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office requires NGL to pay $5 million in compensation to customers and a civil penalty.
In addition, they must reform their business practices to eliminate any misrepresentation of their products, obtain informed consent for recurring fees, and allow for easy cancellation.
Most importantly, they will put controls in place to prevent people claiming to be under 18 from accessing the app.
Try an app yourself before allowing your children access to it. Read online reviews to see what other users say about it.
Randy Hutchinson is president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South.
