We take seriously our responsibility to make Yubo as safe as possible, and we have put safety at the core of every decision since our launch to fulfill that responsibility. As the online landscape continues to change, we, too, are constantly evolving and upgrading our practices and systems to ensure safety is built in by design.

The devastating events of 24 May in Uvalde, Texas, brought to light systemic issues in society that need to be addressed. We are dedicated to doing our part by identifying and implementing safety solutions to the Yubo platform. In the days since, we have been working to accelerate safety developments in our pipeline and further expand the scope of existing safeguards across our platform. We have made meaningful changes to Yubo during this time and will continue to roll out additional developments in the weeks ahead as part of our continuing commitment to safety innovation in social media. 

The following enhancements have been expedited to supplement our existing safety practices and provide greater support for our users:

Updated risk-detection policy
Yubo has broadened its policy to review content and act on infractions based on more stringent laws and regulations around sexual behavior and harassment; hate speech; weapons; violence; drugs; and animal abuse, among other risks. Previously, our response to content related to these risk areas was determined by corresponding laws in the region where the content was posted. We feel it is in all users’ best interest that we apply more severe standards to content review and intervention across the board.



Enhanced user-reporting capabilities
This summer, Yubo users worldwide will be able to attach up to four media files, such as screenshots or video recordings, to any reports they submit, thereby providing greater context to Yubo team members tasked with reviewing reports and taking action accordingly. Yubo is committed to ensuring that every user has sufficient agency to acknowledge how they are feeling, and if uncomfortable, take steps to voice their concerns. User feedback is essential to our mission to continually improve the safety of our platform. 



Audio-moderation technology 
Roughly half of people who have reported experiencing harassment in online gaming, where live streaming has historically been most prevalent, were targeted by voice, according to a report by the Anti-Defamation League. Yet innovations in audio moderation have struggled to keep pace with advances in real-time image and video moderation. On Tuesday, 31 May, Yubo became one of the first social media companies in the world to deploy audio-moderation technology, supplementing our existing capabilities to allow for comprehensive automatic moderation across the platform. Developed in partnership with Hive, the technology is being tested in beta for English-speaking users with the goal of expanding to additional languages. 



 Combined-signals risk detection algorithm 
On Tuesday, 31 May, Yubo deployed a new algorithm-based detection system, which we have been developing for over six months. The algorithm aggregates and assesses a combination of signals – keywords, emojis, and images, for example – to evaluate content with context. This bolsters our other safety detection tools, which scan for individual signals of infractions or risk, and provides enriched context to our emergency escalation team.

As a leading social platform for teens and young adults, we are committed to prioritizing the safety of our users. As such, Yubo is guided by a safety advisory board of respected thought leaders from organizations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Thorn, as well as partner organizations in government, law enforcement, NGOs, and charities. We are thankful for their support as we continue to develop and improve the Yubo platform for our users.

We remain shocked and deeply saddened by this recent tragedy. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all who have been impacted.

At Yubo, we take seriously our responsibility to make Yubo as safe as possible, and we have put safety at the core of every decision since our launch to fulfill that responsibility. As the online landscape continues to change, we, too, are constantly evolving and upgrading our practices and systems to ensure safety is built in by design. We have made meaningful changes to Yubo and will continue to roll out additional developments as part of our continuing commitment to safety innovation in social media.

A letter from our CEO on new safety policies and features on Yubo

A Letter From Our CEO on New Safety Policies and Features on Yubo

What's this new feature on Yubo all about? 

In May 2022, Yubo introduced a new age verification feature to help keep all of our users safe while on the app. If you are a Yubo user, here’s what you need to know! 

You might have received a new pop-up either while using the app or while creating an account on Yubo. Far from being mysterious, this pop-up is simply the launch of Yubo's new age verification system – and this time it’s an easy and simple process, without any need for an ID card, documentation or other form of proof. 

Why is Yubo introducing this new feature?

Online age verification allows platforms to confirm age and identity of users over the internet. Yubo’s main purpose for introducing this new verification feature is to help continue to keep everyone on Yubo safe. By confirming our users’ ages, we can ensure that everyone is the age they say when they are interacting with each other on the app. This will help prevent people who intend to lie about who they are or create false profiles. It also allows users on Yubo to be confident they are interacting with others in their similar age group, just as they would in real life. 

What is Yubo's new age verification system? 

Yubo’s age verification system was developed in collaboration with Yoti, who has been our trusted partner since 2019 in helping to verify the identities of suspicious user accounts on Yubo. Yoti and Yubo are now adding this new safety feature to the mix to provide another step in age verification for all our users. It will serve as an initial filter when entering the app helping to ensure users are the age they claim to be.

How does Yubo's age verification system work?

This new age verification process is intentionally very easy and simple. In fact, all it requires is a real-time photo that you, as a user, will take within the app. Yoti’s age estimation technology will then analyze your photo and estimate your age. It also uses a special liveness algorithm that takes a short video to detect that it is a real photo and not a screenshot or image pulled from Google. Once your age is delivered and it matches the age on your profile, you are verified and can access the app. However, if your age doesn’t match, you will need to go through an additional verification process. 

Yubo How To Verify Your Age

Why was I asked to verify my age and not another user I know? 

The age verification feature has been launched in beta stage for users ages 13 and 14, but will begin rolling out to the rest of users with the goal of age verifying everyone on Yubo by the end of 2022. 

Protecting your data is particularly important to us when creating any feature on the app, and our new age verification system is no exception. Thanks to this new system, no identification documents or personal information will be required and instead you will only need to take a real-time photo of yourself within the Yubo app, which will then be processed by Yoti's age estimation technology. At Yubo, our ultimate goal is to make age verification accessible while guaranteeing the protection of our users' data. We are proud to be the first major social media platform who will have age verified all of its users! 

You can check out our step-by-step guide below or watch this video to learn more about how this new verification feature works. 

 When you receive the initial pop-up, you will first be directed to verify your age and agree to the terms of the verification. 

Once you accept, your camera will activate, and you will be prompted to place your face within an oval that appears on the screen. 

Once your photo is taken, Yoti’s age estimation technology will analyze the photo. You will be notified that your age is verified, that your age doesn’t match or that you are not using a legitimate picture. 

If your age is verified, you will be brought to the Yubo homepage. If your verification fails, you will not be able to access the app and will need to provide additional ID documentation to verify your age.

And that’s all it takes! It’s as easy as that. If you have questions, you can always reach out to Yubo Support or check out our online Safety Hub to learn more about what we do to keep Yubo a safe place for everyone.

Yubo, the social live-streaming app for Gen Z implements an industry-leading age verification feature in partnership with Yoti. Yubo will become the first major social media app to institute a wide age verification process across its platform. Yubo’s goal is to age-verify 100% of all users on the platform by the end of 2022.

Yubo’s new age verification feature helps keep you safe

Yubo’s New Age Verification Feature Helps Keep You Safe

Safer Internet Day is an international celebration to promote safety and well-being online. It is celebrated by millions of people each February. Each year, Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns. While it especially promotes online safety for young people, everyone benefits from a safer online world. From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, Safer Internet Day inspires an international conversation about using technology responsibly, critically, and creatively. 

In 2021, the theme for Safer Internet Day was “Together for a Better Internet”. It emphasized that whether you are a young person, a parent, a teacher, a policymaker, or whether you represent an organisation or industry, everyone has a role to play in creating and maintaining a better online world. Thousands of local, national, and international organisations participated to promote the positive use of digital technology for children and young people. 

Safer internet day is run by Insafe, a European network of Safer Internet Centres. Centres implement awareness and educational campaigns, run helplines, and work closely with youth to create a better internet. However, Safer Internet Day is also celebrated outside Europe. In 2009, the concept of Safer Internet Day Committees was introduced, and now, more than 100 global Committees work closely with the Safer Internet Day Coordination Team. Many external organizations also support Safer Internet Day with awareness-raising events and activities. Everyone is encouraged to participate in Safer Internet Day, whether they are an organization, a parent, or a young person!

Safer Internet day was created as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns. Safer Internet Day is even more important since the coronavirus crisis forced most of our daily activities to move online. On Safer Internet Day 2021, a brand new research report, “An Internet Young People Can Trust” surveyed over 2,000 young people aged 8-17, and revealed that 77% of 8-17s felt being online had been a more important part of their life in 2020 than before. As young people spend more and more time browsing the internet, we want them to be protected.          

What is the theme of Safer Internet Day 2022? 

The theme of Safer Internet Day 2022 is “All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online”. Each year, Safer Internet Day explores a new issue or theme which is impacting the lives of young people online. For 2022, the Day celebrates young people’s role in creating a safer internet and the ways they use the interactive entertainment spaces they are a part of. Online communities and relationships are very important to young people and have only become more important over the last few years. From gaming and chat to streaming and video, young people are shaping interactive entertainment spaces they are a part of. Safer Internet Day 2022 celebrates young people's role in creating a safer internet, whether that is while gaming and creating content or interacting with their friends and peers.

Safer Internet Day 2022 will take place on 8th February 2022!

Celebrate on Yubo, of course! Whether you are taking part in our live streams, or talking to some new friends, make staying safe online a part of the conversation. Here are some other ideas of how to celebrate safer internet day: 

Start a Live on Yubo to raise awareness about online safety! Share your screen and show videos, share tips, and engage with viewers by encouraging them to share how they stay safe online. 

DM a friend to let them know about the activities taking place on Yubo or in your life to celebrate Online Safety Day. Encourage them to become more engaged in the importance of online safety. 

Watch an online safety video. There are so many videos on important safety issues like respectful communication, cyberbullying, online advertising, false information, image sharing, and self-esteem. Watch one to become more informed about online safety and share it with your friends and family so that they can be too!

Develop an online Code of Conduct. Think about how you want to be treated and treat others online. Write down some rules and best practices for yourself. Brainstorms actions you can take to make the online world a better place!

How many countries celebrate safer internet day?

Approximately 200 countries and territories celebrate Safer Internet Day. From its launch in 2004 in the EU, it has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone and is now celebrated worldwide. Its size makes Safer Internet Day a landmark event in the online safety calendar. 

The internet is not inherently unsafe, but there are some emerging safety issues in these spaces as well as issues young people have been navigating for some time; particularly the lack of respect individuals display towards each other, groups ‘ganging up’ against other groups, and the sense that it is easy to ‘get away’ with negative behaviour such as meanness, bullying and swearing. They speak about hate directed at particular groups, particularly LGBT+ users, and misogyny on gaming platforms. They tell us the apparent lack of consequences for negative behaviour has an impact on their safety and well-being. 

The internet is also unsafe because research consistently shows that many children do not tell an adult if something goes wrong online. Safer Internet Day inspires parents to have conversations with their children about online safety. There is currently a lack of policy enforcing that everything that is illegal offline is equally prohibited on the internet. That’s why talking to your child is one of the most effective ways of ensuring they feel safe on the internet and will come to an adult if they encounter an issue. 

What does Yubo do to make the internet safer? 

Not just on Safer Internet Day, but every day, Yubo fosters supportive relationships and respectful communities. We equip our users with the tools they need to keep themselves and others on Yubo safe. We have a zero-tolerance policy for hate, bullying, and harassment. Our platform is a place for connection, community and collaboration because we empower our users to treat each other respectfully and arm them with resources if they encounter hate or bullying directed at them or someone else. 

Safer Internet Day is an international celebration to promote safety and wellbeing online. Yubo takes this opportunity to reiterate its daily commitment to making its platform a safe environment for its entire community. Yubo is a place for connection, community and collaboration because we empower our users to treat each other respectfully and arm them with resources if they encounter hate or bullying directed at them or someone else.

Everything you need to know about Safer Internet Day

Everything You Need to Know About Safer Internet Day

How we’re empowering young people to value and protect their personal information on Yubo

For many years, children and teenagers have been told to ‘think before you post. But, in a world where our online and offline lives are more blurred than ever and we’re all a lot more relaxed about sharing our personal information, is this still a realistic message?

“It’s more important than ever to be careful about what you share in your digital spaces,” says Annie Mullins OBE, who advises us on safety issues at Yubo. “It can be very easy to get caught up in a conversation with someone on social media and think it’s OK to tell them where you live, where you go to college, your phone number or your email address.” 

“Our advice for young people is to put the brakes on and take a moment before sharing this kind of personal information with someone you’ve only chatted to a few times online,” she adds. “It’s often best to err on the side of caution and keep certain personal details to yourself.”

Here at Yubo, we’re committed to helping our users have the best possible experience on the app. That’s why we’ve started asking young people if they are sure they want to share their personal details. We’ve recently introduced a feature in private chat that triggers a pop-up when someone types in a phrase such as ‘I live in London’ and then gives them the opportunity to change their mind about posting it.

Of course, many young people are aware that their data is valuable but, when they feel like they’re talking to someone they trust, they sometimes forget that it could be misused. Even broad information, such as the name of your city or town, could be used to find out your address, places you hang out and who your friends and family are. If you have public profiles on lots of social networks, your digital footprint could provide strangers with valuable information that could be used to coerce you into doing something you don’t want to do.

Still in the early stages, our new pop-up feature is already showing great results: we send around 20,000 pop-ups every day and 12% of our users who see these alerts decide not to send their personal information. The tool uses an algorithm to further enhance our portfolio of innovative safety tools. For example, we also use AI to conduct age checks and we intervene in real-time during live streams when we think someone could be putting themselves or others in danger.

“We try to strike the right balance between encouraging participation and providing protection for the many young people in our community,” says our COO Marc-Antoine Durand. “This new pop-up is a great example of how we help teens to make smart choices. This is about encouraging them to be more cautious and to take control of their digital footprint.”

As we enter the new decade, we’re seeing a greater focus across industry on putting safety at the heart of app and website development and empowering users to better manage their online experience. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has recently introduced a ‘Safety by Design’ initiative, for example. With more than 25 million members all over the world, we will continue to focus on making Yubo a safe space for young people to make new friends – in 2020 and beyond.

Visit the Yubo Safety Center for more information and advice.

Here at Yubo, we’re committed to helping our users have the best possible experience on the app. That’s why we’ve started asking young people if they are sure they want to share their personal details. Yubo's recently introduced a feature in private chat that triggers a pop-up when someone types in a phrase such as ‘I live in London’ and then gives them the opportunity to change their mind about posting it.

Think Before You Send

Real-time intervention on social video: Yubo takes the lead to reduce risks to young people

Here at Yubo, we’re always looking for ways to innovate in online safety. In our previous blog, we explained how we take our responsibility to younger Yubo users very seriously. Since then, we’ve continued working with online safety expert Annie Mullins OBE to put a number of safeguards in place on the app and we’ve recently taken an important step forward by introducing real-time intervention in live streams.

Using a combination of algorithms and human moderators, we monitor activity on Yubo so we can identify users who violate our community guidelines and who could put themselves or others in danger while live streaming. We then take immediate action, sending a message to the user explaining how they have crossed the line, how to change their behavior and what action we’ll take if they don’t comply. Our options include temporarily disabling the live stream and suspending their account.

Yubo is the only social video app to intervene in this way to help keep teens safer. Yes, it’s a bold move. Yes, some young people are surprised when they receive a warning message from us. But we believe the most important thing is to support and protect our users and make the Yubo community an even better place to be.

In this blog, we take a closer look at live intervention and explore how it promotes behavioral change by encouraging Yubo users to stay safer and be more responsible as well as helping to reduce the risk of sexual exploitation and other issues. We also talk to one of our most experienced moderators and find out how our teenage users respond to his messages about inappropriate behavior or unsuitable content they have posted.

“We know there’s more that social networks can do and some sites like Yubo already have good practice on live streaming.” Andy Burrows, Associate Head of Child Safety Online, NSPCC (2018)

Just as teenagers might experiment and test boundaries in real life, the same happens in the digital world. Online, young people might have already seen inappropriate behavior or content and aren’t always sure what’s acceptable. Whether it’s filming themselves in their underwear or making nasty comments about someone, it’s important that they understand and reflect upon the consequences their behavior could have for them and others. Furthermore, as a company, we must be able to take action when we see inappropriate or illegal behavior and content within live streams on Yubo (which we call Lives).

Our community guidelines are essential in setting standards for user behavior — our users have to agree to abide by them and we always refer to them when intervening in live streams. We make it very clear in these guidelines that we have zero tolerance for nudity and posing in underwear in Lives, for example.

If these guidelines aren’t followed, it’s our policy to engage and educate our younger users rather than punish them. That means using opportunities when rules have been broken to help them understand and think about what they have done wrong and nudge them to change their behavior in that moment and in the future. We’re already seeing the positive impact of real-time in-app warnings and our approach has been welcomed by law enforcement, charities and other online safety advocates.

As our online safety advisor Annie Mullins OBE says,

“I’ve worked with Yubo putting live interventions in place to help prevent its users from putting themselves at risk. This is an important step change in the child online safety arena and one that other social media companies should consider following. The more real-time interventions with young people that take place, the more we’ll be able to support and educate them. Young people make mistakes — that’s part of growing up — but it’s important that social media providers offer safety nets for them and nudge them in the right direction when their behavior could put them at risk.”

Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Richard Graham adds,

“The future of the digital world now rests upon how willing we are to use behavioral insights to stop the bad from spoiling the good. Yubo is leading the way with live intervention, and there is no better way to learn than in the moment.”

Our global team of moderators deal with a variety of situations in live streams, including young people posing in their underwear, taking their clothes off, harassing other users and threatening to self-harm.

We asked one of our moderators, Tom*, to explain why it’s so important to intervene in Lives.

“The content is being broadcast live online so it makes sense that we intervene immediately before any damage is done. The faster we get involved, the better,” he says.

Despite receiving a popup about our community guidelines when they enter live streams on Yubo and knowing that Lives can be seen by anyone (not just their friends), some users still choose to push the limits.

So, why do young people behave this way online? There are a number of motivations — some do it to show off or flirt, others because they see their idols and other celebrities acting a certain way or because someone is encouraging them or putting them under pressure to do it.

“It’s often about getting attention, which they might not get in real life,” comments Tom. “Going live is a good way of reaching lots of people and getting lots of views. The guys who go shirtless want to show off their muscles, for example.”

The potential risks of live streaming include being bullied, being coerced into sexually explicit activity and being contacted by strangers with ill intent.

Tom explains how younger users often become so immersed in the app, they don’t think about what they are doing.

“People often get caught up with being ‘in the moment’ and don’t understand the immediate risks or that the content might not go away after the Live. If they video themselves in their underwear, someone could capture that, publish it somewhere else and use it against them,” he points out.

If a Yubo moderator sees something happening that violates our community guidelines and could put someone at risk, they send a warning message to the user. The message might say that the Live will be shut down in one minute or it might warn the user that they will be suspended from the app if they don’t change their behavior.

We’re the only social video app to do this as we think it’s important that our younger users understand what the problem is and that we encourage them to change what they’re doing. After all, the best way to learn is in the moment and through real-life experience.

We then take the appropriate action, which might include removing the content, suspending or closing down the user’s account and reporting potentially illegal activity to the police and other authorities, such as the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). It’s our aim to help users change their behavior before it gets to that point but, in the end, we’ll do what is right for them and other users.

“Sadly, one of the things we come across is young people who are self-harming or suicidal,” says Tom. “Even if the people watching the Live try to help, they aren’t trained professionals and could unintentionally make the situation worse. Seeing someone talking about self-harming could also trigger similar feelings in other users.”

We don’t allow self-harm content to remain on Yubo and we explain to our younger users why this is the case. Live intervention means we can help someone in that crucial moment and direct them to support organisations.

“I will venture to say that… this app is shaping up to be a leader in live-streamed video safety.”Anne Collier, NetFamilyNews (August 2017)

On the whole, Yubo users respond positively to real-time intervention. They aren’t used to other apps communicating in this way but they generally receive the notifications well and comply with our requests. If someone receives a warning as they are getting undressed on camera, for example, they usually stop as soon as they see the message and put their clothes back on.

Tom notes that users often thank him for intervening as it means they don’t have to deal with a difficult situation themselves. If they are feeling under pressure to behave a certain way online, it’s good that they know we’re there to keep an eye on things and help them to manage those expectations.

Many of our younger users tell their friends about our rules and how the Yubo moderators are there to help — a clear sign that although young people like to be independent, they still need support. Indeed, educating one teenager can have a powerful network effect. We’ve received lots of positive comments about live intervention from our younger users, including “I think it’s useful, just keeps the community safer and cleaner I guess” and “It’s a really good idea, it gives people a chance to change their behavior and if not then they face the consequences.”

With research by Childnet revealing that more than one in 10 eight to 17-year-olds have ‘gone live’, live streaming is here to stay. We believe real-time intervention is a vital tool in helping young people have a safer experience on social video apps.

In Anne Collier’s words, it’s important to build a digital community of “guided practice” — one where young people can be confident, happy, respectful and safe. With our vision to be a leader in online safety, we’ll continue to develop innovative safety features for Yubo so we can do exactly that.

“I applaud Yubo for extensively reworking its safety features to make its platform safer for teens.” Julie Inman Grant, Australian eSafety Commissioner (March 2018)

Yubo has a minimum age limit of 13 and users must provide their real details, including their mobile number. We use technology and moderators to identify underage profiles and block them.

Yubo users can set their own preferences, including whether to show their location and deciding who they talk to.

Every user must agree to abide by our community guidelines, which include rules about bullying, nudity, fake profiles and other inappropriate or illegal behavior.

We use innovative technology and human moderators to check what’s happening on Yubo and take action if we see our rules being broken.

It’s easy to report any problems or concerns to us, via the flag icon in the app or on our Safety Centre. We aim to respond to reports within 24 hours and prioritize emergencies.

Here at Yubo, we’re always looking for ways to innovate in online safety. Yubo has recently taken an important step forward by introducing real-time intervention in live streams. Using a combination of algorithms and human moderators, we monitor activity on Yubo so we can identify users who violate our community guidelines and who could put themselves or others in danger while live streaming.

Yubo's Take

Here for all of it.

A Letter From Our CEO on New Safety Policies and Features on Yubo

Yubo’s New Age Verification Feature Helps Keep You Safe

Everything You Need to Know About Safer Internet Day

Think Before You Send

Real-Time Intervention on Social Video