Yubo, a leading Gen Z live social discovery app, launched an in-app safety campaign and several meaningful NGO partnerships.
Working toward safe Internet operation for all users is an ongoing proposition. Each year, Safer Internet Day brings organizations across the globe together to highlight online safety initiatives. In 2023, the one-day event marked its 20th year with another impactful slate of activities.
The 2023 Safer Internet Day was held on February 7, and "Want to talk about it? Making Space for Conversations About Life Online" was the theme. The event organizers sought to inspire young people to express the ways they'd like to be supported online. Private sector, non-profit, and government organizations were (and are) listening.
Yubo Continues to Provide "Safer Internet Day" Collaboration
Paris-based Yubo, a live social discovery app for Gen Zers, participated once again in the Safer Internet Day offerings. During the 2023 event, Yubo teamed up with two respected non-profit NGOs: Childnet and Respect Zone. Together, these online safety leaders presented young users with information to help them remain safe online.
Beginning on February 7th, Yubo extended the event for the entire month via its in-app campaigns, sharing resources with English and French-speaking Yubo users. Young users in the United States, France, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and South Africa were able to join in.
A streamlined in-app swipe campaign outlined the Safer Internet Day initiative. Yubo and its NGO partners also presented online safety best practices tips. Finally, users received guidance on sharing personal experiences on public online platforms.
Younger users, 13 to 18 years of age, were invited to participate in Childnet's online safety quiz. Created for Safer Internet Day, the quiz presented real-life online harassment examples. Equally importantly, Childnet offered advice on how young users can effectively navigate these potentially harmful situations.
Yubo CEO Emphasizes Ongoing Support for Safer Internet Day
Sacha Lazimi, Yubo's co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, reinforced Yubo's commitment to providing young users with a forum to share their experiences online. He also expressed appreciation to Yubo's Safer Internet Day NGO partners.
"As a platform for Gen Z, a group that has taken such responsibility for speaking up about important issues in today's world, Yubo feels strongly about providing young people with opportunities to share their perspectives and experiences to help us, and our partners, make online communities as safe and positive as possible.
"We are proud to play an active role in supporting the important theme of this year's Safer Internet Day, and [we] are grateful for the ongoing partnership between Yubo and Childnet and Respect Zone," Sacha Lazimi concluded.
Snapshot of Safer Internet Day
The annual Safer Internet Day is a collaborative global event. Insafe and INHOPE, two European online safety networks with a broad reach, continue to organize this youth-focused program. During each February event, stakeholders from the private sector, government, and NGOs come together to promote a better, safer Internet.
Every year, these collaborative partners promote responsible online conduct and share safety resources and real-world advice. Young people and their parents benefit from the Safer Internet Day activities. The educational community also receives valuable guidance on keeping young online users safe.
About Childnet
The UK-based charity Childnet is an original Safer Internet Day organizer. This non-profit organization works to "make the Internet a great and safe place for young people." Toward this goal, Childnet freely shares the skills and knowledge young people need to safely use the Internet. Through these efforts, Childnet seeks to empower children, teens, and adults in the online world.
About Respect Zone
The France-based Respect Zone is an NGO that supports young people who face cyberbullying, cyber-violence, and online hate. Respect Zone seeks to prevent these activities and supports young people who are impacted. In addition, Respect Zone's proactive vision drives its efforts to bring these issues before a larger public audience.
Yubo's Commitment to Users' Online Safety
Since its 2015 inception, Yubo has maintained a firm commitment to its users' online safety. Today, Yubo combines proprietary algorithms and Safety Specialist oversight to help ensure its 60+ million users have as safe and fun an online experience as possible. Yubo's respected Safety Board provides ongoing guidance on the company's programs and recommends new initiatives.
Yubo's 100 Percent User Age Verification Requirement
Yubo's live social discovery platform is geared toward Gen Zers, including teens. To help ensure young users don't fall victim to online predators, Yubo introduced an industry-leading age verification system. In fact, Yubo is the first major social media platform to require 100 percent of users to be age-verified.
Since May 2022, every first-time Yubo user must verify their age before they are green-lighted to the platform. All existing users also had to go through the age verification process in order to continue their access to the app. Fortunately, Yubo made the process easy and simple, and users don't need an ID card or other documentation. This benefits younger users who may not have their ID cards yet.
Naturally, Yubo turned to digital identification expert Yoti for assistance. The leading-edge Yoti technology estimates that a user is above or below a specific age threshold. Yoti's technology has a 98.9 percent accuracy rate valid for every skin tone, age, and gender. In addition, Yoti's technology has earned the valued iBeta certification.
Snapshot of the Age Verification Process
Users can easily complete Yubo's age verification process inside the app. First, the user takes a real-time photo while Yoti's liveness algorithm records a short video. Ideally, the algorithm confirms that the user has provided a real photo rather than a Google image or other screenshot.
Next, the Yoti algorithm performs photo analysis and estimates the user's age. If the individual's estimated age and claimed age are identical, they will be invited to use the Yubo app. If there is a discrepancy, the user must supply additional documentation. If they are unable to verify their age, they will be unable to access the Yubo app.
Users' Privacy Concerns Are Paramount
Regardless of a user's age, their personal privacy is important (including online privacy). For this reason, Yubo ensures that its age verification process complies with applicable "privacy by design" regulations. European data privacy laws spurred these guidelines. For additional peace of mind, users should understand that the Yoti algorithm cannot link an individual facial image to an actual person's identity.
The Game-Changing "Muted Words" Feature
Yubo understands that users want to control the content they see on the app. Through the "Muted Words" feature, each user can identify words, phrases, and emojis they'd like to avoid in their communications. As a result, they won't see any text or emojis that can potentially upset them.
Reinforcement of Yubo's Community Guidelines
Yubo maintains Community Guidelines designed to provide users with a civil (and safe) interactive online experience. When users see behavior that potentially violates the guidelines, they can click the app's shield icon and then tap "Report." A Yubo Safety Specialist will quickly investigate each potential infraction and take the necessary action.
To supplement the Safety Specialists' efforts, Yubo's vigilant algorithms look for sensitive or inappropriate content and/or harmful language. If the algorithm identifies an issue, it triggers a real-time, pop-up message that asks the user to reevaluate their proposed action.
Innovative Livestream Moderation
Yubo livestreams (or "Lives") are, hands down, the app's most widely used communication method. Each Live involves one to 10 user streams, although unlimited users can interact via live comments. Users chat with other global members, share their talents and opinions, and generally just hang out and have fun. Every day, users can choose from thousands of livestreams to join.
Naturally, Yubo wants every Live interaction to be respectful of all participants. To achieve this goal, Yubo has become the first premier social media app to integrate real-time audio and video moderation in its livestreams.
AI Filters Supplement Safety Specialists' Efforts
First, Yubo's artificial intelligence (or AI) tools run in the background, analyzing second-to-second screenshots of every livestream. The AI algorithm captures the video and transcribes the audio, always seeking inappropriate or harmful content. If the algorithm finds it, or a user clearly breaches the Yubo Community Guidelines, a human Safety Specialist receives an alert.
Next, the Safety Specialist investigates the issue and decides whether to take action. The Safety Specialist can issue a user warning, remove the content, and/or impose a temporary ban. Device-level permanent bans may also be on the table. Finally, the Safety Specialist may decide that reporting the issue to local law enforcement is necessary.
Yubo's Safety Board Provides Expert Guidance
With rapidly evolving online user safety standards, Yubo believes drawing upon expert guidance is the best solution. For years, the company has relied on its well-regarded Safety Board, composed of recognized global online safety experts. Safety Board members are drawn from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Thorn, INTERPOL, and The Diana Award, among others.
Throughout the year, the Safety Board reviews Yubo's online safety policies. With an eye on relevant developments, the Board recommends changes and/or additions as needed.
When specific issues arise, the Safety Board is always ready to assess the situation and recommend a course of action. Yubo's partnership with the Safety Board, and the company's ongoing commitment to online user safety, help the company to retain its industry leadership.
