Is Yubo a Dating App?

Recently, my Snapchat account was used in a large-scale “sugar baby” scam targeting males ages 17-19. The scammer’s opening message said, “Hello, this is Gabby from Yubo. Would you like to be my sugar baby for a $1000/week allowance?” I wondered, “What the heck is Yubo?” So I did my research so you don’t have to. 

Yubo is a global social networking app based in France designed for young people, particularly teenagers. The app states that it is for users 17 years of age and up. Their LinkedIn bio says, “Yubo is a social live-streaming platform that celebrates the true essence of being young. We inspire a new generation to be themselves.” 

What is Yubo?

Is Yubo a dating app? Yubo isn’t a dating app. Since launching in 2015, it has been designed to make it easier for Gen Z members to make new friends and hang out online with people who share similar interests. For example, you can join live streams of people who like dogs, gaming, or food! 

Is Yubo Safe?

The app’s safety hinges on user behavior, supervision, and awareness from users and their parents or guardians, despite existing safety features and guidelines. Yubo released its 2023 Transparency Report, reinforcing its dedication to online safety and outlining its continuous efforts to protect its community.

Here are some key points to consider regarding Yubo’s safety and the measures they are taking to improve the user experience:

1. Moderation and Reporting: Yubo employs moderators to review content and user profiles to ensure they comply with the platform’s guidelines. Users can also report inappropriate content or users.

• Multiple Monitoring Teams: We have developed a team of experts dedicated 24/7 to ensuring the safety and well-being of the Yubo community, including an abusive behavior response team, safety policy team, and law enforcement team.
• Human + Innovative Moderation: They have combined human and innovative moderation tactics for extra layers of behavior monitoring and conduct regular accuracy checks to evaluate detection policies. 
• Seamless Reporting: A reporting button is embedded in every Yubo profile and feature in the app so users can easily send reports about inappropriate, harmful, or illegal content or behavior, whether it concerns them or another user. This feature, coupled with a safety-by-design education approach, becomes effective behavior reinforcement. 

2. Age Restrictions: Yubo has a minimum age requirement, typically set at 13 or 17, depending on the user’s location. However, age verification has been a challenge for the platform in the past. Now, they have implemented:

• Identity and Age Verification: Yubo became the world’s first major social media app to implement age estimation technology for all users.

Privacy Key Points

3. Location Sharing and Privacy Settings: Yubo designs its features by prioritizing privacy and safety in addition to common location cloaking technology in other applications. 

• Hiding Location: Yubo has a feature that allows users to connect with others nearby. Users should be cautious about sharing their precise location with strangers.
• Advanced Privacy Settings: Yubo offers privacy settings that allow users to control who can see their profile and content. Users should take advantage of these settings to limit their exposure to strangers.

4. Inappropriate Content: Yubo has faced criticism for the presence of inappropriate and explicit content. Users, especially younger ones, should be aware of the risk of encountering such content and should report it.

• Muted Words: This feature lets users mute unwanted words, enhancing safety and enjoyment in their experience.

5. Data Privacy Education: Yubo has made education a key pillar of its safety strategy, developing various educational policies and processes. 

• Pop-Up Alerts: Informs users of misconduct, leading to temporary suspension or permanent ban from Yubo. According to the distribution of permanent bans by category, 53% were for spam and fraudulent behavior. 

Yubo’s safety relies on user conduct and responsible usage, despite having protective features and guidelines. To answer your question, “Is Yubo a dating app? Is it safe?”, they have made excellent strides in improving their user safety measures. Users, especially teenagers, should exercise caution, be aware of potential risks, and use privacy settings wisely. 

Categorised in: Online Privacy

This post was written by Adrian Yang