Free Online Safety Guide

What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Wizz

In an age where empathy and understanding are more valuable than ever, apps like Wizz – which connect users with potential new friends – can be incredibly welcome. Pairing people with others who share their interests, the app can unite mutual fans of the same music, find fellow foodies to exchange recipes with or recruit new players for someone’s favourite online game.

Indeed, the app’s tagline promises to “expand your world”. Is that expansion totally safe, however? As this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide finds out, Wizz’s age verification system isn’t infallible – so, with the possibility of young people being matched with much older users, trusted adults might want to familiarise themselves with how this trending app actually works.

Read on to access your free guide ...

As of spring 2023, Wizz sits in the App Store’s top 20 social networking downloads and has amassed an impressive 10 million users globally. The majority of its user-base hail from Generation Z (that’s anyone currently between the ages of about 8 and their early 20s), with the app’s aim being to enable young people to forge rewarding online connections with others.

Despite its verification processes and security checks, Wizz can still be prone to risk, however. Bypassing the age limit of 13 isn’t particularly difficult, and – regrettably – wherever young people gather to chat online, potential predators and the possibility of explicit material are seldom far behind. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has the lowdown on Wizz.

Your Online Safety News

In this week’s round-up, we’ve got stories on fake online reviews becoming illegal in the UK; the disturbing meaning behind TikTok’s ‘April 24’ trend; and the removal of social media content advertising the services of people smugglers.

New rules ban subscription traps and fake reviews

Buying, selling or hosting fake reviews will become illegal as part of changes planned under the UK government's new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill.

Twitter gives fake Disney account verified status

A fake Twitter account purporting to belong to Disney was given a gold tick by the platform, despite tweeting vile content, before being suspended.

Extreme online child sexual abuse material doubles

Newborns and toddlers are among the victims of the most severe online sexual abuse, with the amount of extreme material doubling over the last two years.

The meaning behind the April 24 trend on TikTok

April 24 has become a disturbing trend on TikTok, unofficially marking it as ‘National Rape Day', on which some men have used the platform to encourage each other to commit sexual assaults.

NCA and social media combine to tackle illegal immigration

Thousands of social media pages advertising the services of people smugglers have been removed after an agreement between the NCA and five major social media companies.

TikTok moves to ban climate change denial content

TikTok is taking a stance against climate change misinformation, outlawing content that ‘undermines well-established scientific consensus’.

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Get involved in #WakeUpWednesday

 Is there an app, game, device or online risk you'd like us to cover? If so, please get in touch with us at hello@nationalonlinesafety.com any time.

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