MnSpring
Serious Thumper
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Younger than most people my age.
Posts: 10939
Minn
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Research/statements,
from opinions on the web.
"...law enforcement and journalists have documented repeated criminal activity taking place on the Kik messaging platform, including distribution of child sexual abuse material, grooming of minors, and cases that progressed to arrests, guilty pleas and lengthy prison sentences [1] [2] [3]; civil lawsuits and investigative reporting have also alleged that Kik’s design and user demographics made it a frequent venue for predators [4] [3]...."
"...This $1 Billion App Can't 'Kik' Its Huge Child Exploitation Problem
Thomas Brewster - Forbes Staff..."
"...Soon after Raleigh, North Carolina police arrested registered sex offender Thomas Paul Keeler II in March last year, they discovered he was an avid user of Kik Messenger, the Canadian communications app billed as the West's alternative to WeChat. He was a member of more than 200 Kik groups with names like "kidsnbabies," all dedicated to trading child abuse material, including images and videos of minors aged between three and 12 "engaged in sexual acts with adults," according to a search warrant obtained by Forbes. In total, Keeler, who is awaiting sentencing after filing a currently-sealed plea agreement, shared and received such content with as many as 300 different individuals over less than a year, the government claimed.
This astonishing level of illegal content might appear unique, but in recent years this kind of ctivity has become rampant across Kik..."
"... Picture this:
You’re a parent of a 13-year-old girl who is just starting to discover the world of social media. As you’re aware that the online world can pose some dangers to kids, you try to do a bit of esearch on the various apps your daughter is using, to make sure they’re safe. There’s one in articular she spends most of her time on, and you haven’t heard of it before. It’s called “Kik.”
Doing your due diligence, you browse the Kik website to see what this app is all about. Much to your comfort, the website is full of assurances that Kik is “built especially for teens,” and offers teens a “fun, safe place to connect.”
You’re more than satisfied. What a stroke of luck that, of all the apps your daughter could have chosen as her favorite, she happened to settle on one that was specifically designed for kids her age!
. . . Or so you thought. ..."
"... Multiple recent prosecutions explicitly name Kik as the platform used to view, share, or upload child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or to communicate with minors; documented cases span U.S. federal prosecutions, state prosecutions, and at least one Canadian sentence, with punishments ranging from months in prison to multi‑decade federal sentences ..."
"... Kik: What Investigators Are Seeing — Its Uses, Risks, and Why It Matters to Digital Forensics ..."
"... Why Kik Shows Up in Investigations
Digital investigators frequently encounter messaging apps in cases involving child exploitation, grooming, or illicit sharing of explicit content — and Kik is no exception. In the Pennsylvania case, police used CyberTips (reports sent to authorities about potentially illegal content) tied to Kik accounts to begin a digital investigation. ..."
"... The recent arrest of a youth sports coach in Pennsylvania highlights something that investigators and parents alike need to understand: messaging apps once viewed as “casual chat tools” are now major points of interest in digital investigation and child safety monitoring.
In that case, law enforcement received a CyberTip about someone using the Kik messaging application to upload and share illicit material. Through digital forensics work — including IP tracing and subpoenaed records — authorities were ultimately able to identify and charge the suspect. ..."
"... Graham Platner’s account on a notorious chat app highlights Kik’s dark reputation
The platform’s ability to anonymize users makes it a favorite for those seeking to carry out nefarious activities. ..."
And a bunch more.
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