From bullying to unwanted pornographic materials to online predators, social media can be a dangerous place for Gen Z, ranging from ages 10 to 25. Instead of throwing its hands up, the live streaming social media platform, Yubo, is taking actionable steps to create a safe space for Gen Z to hang out online.
It Takes a Village
Global social media company Yubo recognizes that no one company can take on Gen Z safety alone. That’s why they’re actively working with government agencies in countries like Australia and France and many international child safety organizations to develop and put in place meaningful safety measures.
They regularly partner with others to host educational and safety initiatives both on the platform and in the community.
Blocking Advertisers and Predators Targeting Teens
They do not have an ad-based business model as part of their safe space environment. So third-party advertisers cannot target minors on their sites.
This does, of course, mean Yubo has to use a different business model to pay the bills. They’ve chosen instead to use a “freemium model”. New users get basic access to platform features.
If they want more visibility or features, they pay a small fee.
The company recognizes that Gen Z values these things and will be willing to pay for them. If the parents are the ones paying for a younger Gen Zer, those parents can appreciate that their child has a safe space to be social online.
Hiding Young User’s Locations
Yubo further allows users to hide their locations from others and make themselves unfindable by contact information. If a user tries to share their location online, a popup reminds them why that’s dangerous, and asks them to strongly consider if they want to do this.
Keeping Content “Age-Appropriate”
Yubo is different from other social media, where all users can access all public content. The platform divides users into age groups. Their social media experience involves hanging out with and viewing content from people close to their age.
The platform uses a state-of-the-art, AI-driven age verification technology called Yoti to compare a Gen Z user’s stated age to their picture. If the technology thinks they don’t match or the picture may not show the person’s age right now, it will request more verification.
Real-time Human Intervention
Yubo maintains a team of in-house AI-supported human moderators who consume the platform’s content in real-time. If they identify behavior that doesn’t align with the safe space, they can intervene, stopping the session right then.
Not only does this reduce the damage caused by someone who doesn’t value the safe nature of the platform by following safety rules. It can become a deterrent to others who want to enjoy the platform and not see their own live streams shut down.
This is just one more way the company is investing resources in generating a real safe space for Gen Z.
