Cheshire Police – Social Network Warning

Cheshire Police have issued a warning that the Social network site OOvOO is being used by older men to communicate with young females and engage them in live video messaging of a sexual nature. Please ensure any users of this social network site have their privacy settings activated to safeguard them against strangers.

Ed: When we think of social media we tend think of facebook and by now most parents will be aware of the potential dangers and will have introduce measures to warn, and protect, their children. However, Facebook is not the only social networking site and children are naturally inquisitive about the new and the different. Launched in 2007, ooVoo for Microsoft Windows allows high quality video chat from anywhere in the world and in 2009 a version was launched featuring browser-based video chat rooms and video chat through a web link with no download required. Used responsibly it is no doubt a fine system but it easy to see how the unscrupulous could take advantage in the way Cheshire Police are now warning.