By Lisa Weintraub Schifferle
Attorney, Division of Consumer & Business Education
Federal Trade Commission

Parents be warned: Some dating apps – like FastMeet, Meet24 and Meet4U – allow adults to find and communicate with children. Concerned parents should remove these apps if they’re on children’s devices. 
You also can set your kids’ devices so they must get parental approval before purchasing any new apps. Here are a few more things you should know.
FastMeet, Meet24 and Meet4U let children create public dating profiles. So, adults can use these apps to connect with children. 
If that’s not scary enough, the apps collect users’ real-time location data. In other words, adults — including sexual predators — can search by age and location to identify children nearby.
The Federal Trade Commission recently issued a warning letter to Wildec, LLC, the Ukraine-based maker of the three apps, because the company appears to be violating both the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and the FTC Act. 
COPPA requires app providers to give notice and get consent from parents before collecting or sharing any personal information about children under age 13, and the FTC Act prohibits unfair acts or practices. 
As the FTC’s letter states, “the ability to identify and communicate with children — even those over age 13 — poses a significant risk to children’s health and safety.”
As of May 3, 2019, Apple and Google Play have removed FastMeet, Meet24 and Meet4U from their stores, although it’s possible that updated versions of these apps could appear in the future — but only for adults.
To find information on how to delete existing versions of these apps, go to Apple’s website (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207618 for iPhones) or Google’s website (https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/2521768?hl=en for Android phones).
For help talking with your kids about online safety, check out Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids about Being Online at www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0001-netcetera_0.pdf. 
To learn more about your COPPA rights, read the FTC’s Protecting Your Child’s Privacy Online at www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0031-protecting-your-childs-privacy-online. 
And, if you think a company has violated your COPPA rights, report it at ftc.gov/complaint.

Similar Posts

  • Giving wisely in the wake of disasters

    ByIdyllwild Town Crier Reading Time: 2 minutes

    By Colleen Tressler Consumer Education Specialist Federal Trade Commission Disasters and weather emergencies are in the news. Whether it’s the volcanic eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala or the wildfires in Colorado [and California], it’s heartbreaking to see people lose their homes and businesses to the ongoing devastation. But it’s despicable when scammers exploit such tragedies…

  • |

    Scams

    By Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Social Security Administration scams are on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission says SSA telephone shakedowns specifically targeting senior citizens now surpass phony IRS calls, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens. Scammers are calling, pretending to be from the SSA and saying that your Social Security number has been suspended because of suspicious…

  • |

    Don’t be scammed

    ByIdyllwild Town Crier Reading Time: 3 minutes

    This winter’s heavy rains have left many asphalt roads and driveways crumbling or covered with potholes. That’s made the state fertile ground for a long-standing construction scam: families of unlicensed paving and seal coating contractors sweeping in from out-of-state and taking advantage of unsuspecting homeowners. Friday, March 3, investigators from the Contractors State License Board’s…

  • |

    Voter scam: Response to complaints from voters

    By Reading Time: 1 minute

    County elections officials and the California Secretary of State’s office have received more than 100 complaints from voters who have received letters from a group called the Voter Participation Center. The organization’s letters claim that the voter is not registered to vote and offers a pre-filled voter registration form with incorrect or outdated information, or…

  • Don’t Be Scammed: New tax scheme

    By Reading Time: 2 minutes

    They’re at it again… tax scammers scheming new ways to steal personal information and money.

    In the first scenario, identity thieves file a fake tax return and have the refund deposited into your bank account. The thieves then contact you, often by phone, and — posing as the IRS or debt collectors for the IRS — demand you return the money to the IRS. But following the thieves’ instructions actually sends the money to them.

  • |

    Scams that start on social media

    By Reading Time: 2 minutes

    By Bridget SmallDivision of Consumer & Business Education Scammers are hiding out on social media, using ads and offers to market their scams, according to people’s reports to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a new Data Spotlight (www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/data-spotlight/2020/10/scams-starting-social-media-proliferate-early-2020). In the first six months of 2020, people reported losing a record high of almost $117…