End clap for the anonymous service which put strangers in contact! Known for being the hunting ground for pedophiles, Omegle was facing numerous scandals and tougher legislation regarding online security.
Omegle, the platform that has brought strangers together since 2009 so that they can exchange ideas with each other, permanently closed its doors on November 8, 2023, after more than fourteen years of good and loyal service. A decision that follows increased scrutiny from online safety regulators, with the site at the heart of numerous controversies involving pedophiles and other sexual predators of all kinds. In a long message published on the site, its founder Leif K-Brooks explains the reasons which led him to make this decision. It indicates in particular that Omegle was not “more viable, neither financially nor psychologically”and that the fight to prevent its misuse was “just too heavy”. The closure comes as lawmakers around the world introduce tough online safety regulations – including the DSA – with measures to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.
Omegle: a hunting ground for pedophiles and sexual predators
For those who don’t know, Omegle is an online video or text chat that randomly matches two people around the world. They use the webcam to see each other, and the microphone or chat to communicate. The objective is to bring together new people from all over the world. The popularity of Omegle has literally exploded with successive confinements. In addition, famous Youtubers, like Squeezie, go there for their videos and invite their community to join them and participate. It is even the business of certain content creators, such as La Vie en Chauve, who regularly published summaries of its meetings on the platform. Therefore, teenagers connect to it in order to meet their idols and be able to talk to them, a bit like a kind of Wheel of Fortune.
The problem is that any minor can start a chat with another user. No age check is carried out by the platform, with the exception of a checkbox which certifies that they are over 18 years old. Nothing that lets you imagine what you can actually find there. Because while it was a great way for teenagers to seek companionship, it was also a real hunting ground for sex offenders and pedophiles (see our article). Pornographic images, bad encounters, live crimes… Danger can arise in just a few clicks, as evidenced by the repeated scandals and complaints filed by victims of online sexual abuse. In April 2022, the French Secretary of State for Children and Families, Adrien Taquet, for his part announced that he would take legal action against the site for “exposure of minors to pornography and child crime”.
End of Omegle: a page of the Internet turns
Leif K-Brooks is fully aware of the abuses that his platform may have caused. “Over the years, people have used Omegle to explore foreign cultures, get advice, and help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation. I’ve even heard stories of kindred spirits who met on Omegle and got married”he says in his message, before adding that“There can be no honest accounting of Omegle without acknowledging that some people have misused it, including to commit crimes of unspeakable atrocity“. “I believe in the responsibility of being a ‘good Samaritan,’ and the need to incorporate reasonable measures to combat crime and malicious use. That’s exactly what we’ve done at Omegle. In addition to the features basic anonymization, there was a big moderation challenge behind the scenes, with artificial intelligence and a fantastic team of human moderators. Omegle was playing in the big leagues for moderation, and I’m proud of what we got accomplished”he explains.
Given the measures taken by Omegle in terms of moderation, it does not understand the various attacks against the platform. This is evidenced by the – lunar passage! – where he compares the various requests to close the site to a company that “would force women to dress modestly in order to prevent rape. […] If society deprives women of their rights to bodily autonomy and self-expression based on the actions of rapists […] ; then society practically does the rapists’ work for them.” He continues his metaphor by imagining “the closing of Central Park because crime occurs there – or perhaps more provocatively, the destruction of the universe because it contains evil“. Before concluding : “From the bottom of my heart, I thank everyone who has used Omegle for positive purposes and everyone who has contributed to the success of the site in any way. I am truly sorry that I could not continue fighting for you “.