Warning: This article discusses issues related to online child exploitation. Please read with care.
There was a time when being a teenager meant biking around until the streetlights came on, or maybe passing notes in class in a desperate attempt to avoid the teacher’s eagle eyes. How quaint that all seems now.
Being a teenager today is a world apart from what it was like growing up in the pre-smartphone era. While technology has opened up incredible opportunities for connection and learning, it has also unlocked new dangers that parents of past generations never had to contend with. Nowadays, kids are glued to their smartphones 24/7, and apparently, some tech geniuses thought it would be a brilliant idea to create a “Tinder for teens.”
Launched in 2019 by Voodoo, a French developer known largely for its addictive mobile games, Wizz branded itself as a platform for teens 13 and up wanting to expand their social circles online. Much like the dating app Tinder for adults, it let users swipe left or right to connect with others. Teens could set up their profiles, upload photos, and even share their zodiac signs, all with just a few taps. What could possibly go wrong?
As it turns out, plenty. Wizz attracted major backers like Goldman Sachs, Tencent and GBL who were apparently blinded by dollar signs to the glaring lack of safety measures and parental controls. And those oversights had devastating real-world consequences. In July 2023, research groups sounded the alarm that Wizz was enabling the sexual exploitation and abuse of children on a massive scale.
You see, the app made it far too easy for adult predators to set up fake profiles and gain access to unsuspecting teens. Abusers would groom their underage targets, coercing them to send explicit photos or videos. Once the predators had the material, they would threaten to leak it publicly or send it directly to the victim’s family and friends unless they paid up, often repeatedly, via untraceable payment methods. This reprehensible scheme is known as “sextortion” and has lifelong traumatic impacts on the young people targeted.
Following the disturbing revelations about Wizz’s role in facilitating the sexual exploitation of minors, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) took swift action. In January 2024, they reached out to Google and Apple, urging them to remove the app from their stores immediately. Thankfully, both tech giants complied.
After the initial backlash and removal from app stores, Wizz developers scrambled to implement damage control measures in a desperate attempt to get reinstated. For starters, they added in-app warnings that pop up when another user requests contact information. Now they also require users to take a selfie as they register to prove their profile photo matches their face.
Sextortion is a growing scourge that can have life-shattering consequences for victims. According to the FBI, reports of sextortion have skyrocketed since 2021, with over 18,000 complaints totaling $13 million in losses. And those are just the cases that were reported – many victims are too ashamed or afraid to come forward.
The fact that a ploy this dangerous was allowed to operate and even flourish, bankrolled by major institutions, is a damning indictment of a tech industry that repeatedly prioritizes growth and profits over the protection of young people. Wizz wasn’t some fringe app that flew under the radar – it was well-funded, used, and allowed to operate until the NCOSE acted up.
If you or someone you know needs assistance with issues related to online child exploitation, you can contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the U.S. at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or report online at CyberTipline.org. In the UK, contact the NSPCC helpline at 0808 800 5000 or visit nspcc.org.uk.