Ever heard of Yubo? It is a French-based app available on the Google Play Store and the App Store that was launched in 2015. Previously known as “Yellow”, the app aims to help teenagers and young users connect and interact with new friends all over the world in a safe environment. Unlike some other apps in the market, Yubo is not made for kids, that is why a user must be at least 13 to enjoy it. The target audience is between 13-25 years old, and Yubo takes great care to ensure that a user does not lie about their age. For the last few years, the application has been working hard to provide a safe and secure platform to the fullest.
Who is behind Yubo? Let’s talk about the experts and partners behind the social media app!
Who created Yubo?
Yubo was born in France and developed by Sacha Lazimi, Jérémie Aouate and Arthur Platora in 2015. The 3 of them were engineering students at the Paris-Saclay University at the time. In September 2019, the social media app raised about $12.3 million to develop its technology and expand the global user base.
Between 2015 and 2019, Yubo estimated around 2 billion friendships were created and 10 billion messages exchanged. Notably, Yubo is also the first social platform in the world to initiate real-time interventions. The purpose is for a teen to be able to start a live stream whenever they want to talk about their favorite topic. It was a real success: more than 30 million live streams in only 4 years.
In 2022, Yubo counts:
- More than 60 million users worldwide
- Generation Z (13-25 years old) constitutes 99% of Yubo users.
- More than 12 million users in the US
To build up an ever safer environment for young users, Yubo has established strong partnerships with industry specialists. Indeed, the app is supported by a safety board made up of the best international experts.
Let us introduce them to you!
A network of safety partners behind Yubo
Child safety associations and industry specialists are part of the project and Yubo takes great benefit from their experience. As well as helping businesses, some of these professionals also help parents and adults to better understand the relationship teens have with social networking and online conversations.
Annie Mullins
Annie Mullins OBE is co-founder of the Trust + Safety Group based in the UK. This Group supports organizations to protect their digital presence and take control of the user’s online safety. Annie Mullins is Yubo’s expert child safety advisor.
John Shehan
John Shehan joined the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children ® in February 2000. His curriculum has brought him to be in charge of NCMEC’s operations relating to sexual crimes committed against children, including child pornography and internet-facilitated crimes. Nowadays, he provides training and information regarding these issues for the public and the private industry, such as Yubo. He also worked as a technical advisory board member of the Internet Safety Technical Taskforce.
Alex Holmes
Alex Holmes is the Director of the Diana Award – one of the most influential anti-bullying associations. He also works as a safety advisor for Yubo, TikTok, Twitter, and Meta (Facebook) among others.
Travis Bright
Travis Bright is the Product Director of Thorn, one of the leading child safety organizations in the US. He also is one of the partners of Yubo and aims to build technology to defend children and make them feel comfortable and safe to the fullest online.
Anne Collier
Anne is the founder of NetFamilyNews and a member of the Safety Boards of Snapchat and Facebook. She works as a counselor for the Yubo team.
Dr. Richard Graham
Dr. Richard Graham is a psychiatrist who specialised in social platforms. He serves as Digital well-being Consultant for BBC Own it App, among other working projects.
Mick Moran
Mick Moran is one of Yubo’s partners and former Deputy Director of Interpol. He is a cybersecurity enthusiast and expert.
All of these experts have helped Yubo set up a range of technical and human solutions to build up a safer online environment.
Some of Yubo’s safety measures
Now, let’s talk about the results! With the help of the professionals and experts mentioned above, Yubo has launched multiple safety measures.
All profiles IDs are checked and verified
Unlike some other apps, such as Instagram or Snapchat, Yubo was built for young people only. That is why moderators take great care to ensure that no malicious profiles would get infiltrated. As a result, the app can detect a fake image stolen from Google or detect any fake number. They also have set up a “yellow badge” the user can get after checking their ID using a passport or driving license.
Yubo can verify all content
As their algorithms have eyes everywhere, Yubo can verify any content shared on the app. Whether it is a video, a pic, or a comment, any content that breaks the Community rules will be reviewed and sent to moderators. Even in private chat, Yubo will warn teens when they are about to share private data, such as location or phone number. This method is a good way to educate them about privacy and make them behave carefully on the internet!
Muted Words: the right to be protected from triggering content
Through their new “Muted Words” feature, Yubo users can now hide any word, emoji, or phrase that they would personally find triggering or offensive. Words and terms matter and words are powerful, making this feature crucial to a positive experience.
Yubo collaborates with local authorities
Whenever the user’s safety is at risk, Yubo fully collaborates with local authorities and Law Enforcement. They would provide any necessary information in less than 24 hours.
All of the experts behind Yubo have helped build a safe app for young people, so they can feel free to open up to the world. Would you try Yubo?
