Alarming new app for teens described as ‘online playground for paedophiles’
A Melbourne journalist has told Neil Mitchell she felt ‘sick’ investigating an alarming new app, described as ‘tinder for teens’.
Spotafriend seemingly targets teens aged 13-19, inviting them to create a profile, share their location and ‘make friends’.
The app has been slammed by psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Greg, he told Bayside Leader it’s an ‘online playground for paedophiles.’
Leader journalist Jordy Atkinson has told Neil Mitchell she set up a fake account to prove how easy it was to gain access.
“I did very little, I just set up the account and then I just sat back,” she said on 3AW Mornings.
“Within a couple of hours I started to get notifications saying people had ‘swiped right’, which means people liked the look of me.
“It left a really sick feeling in the pit my stomach, I was doing it for purpose, but it still left a nasty taste in my mouth.”
The company claims to have over a million users, “It’s easy to chat with someone near” the website says.
The Spotafriend website also claims it’s not a dating app, but their blog suggests otherwise:
“This is quite horrifying stuff,” said Neil Mitchell.
Click PLAY above to hear the FULL interview with Bayside Leader’s Jordy Atkinson
READ MORE: Spotafriend app sees young children posting provocative selfies online
