PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Yubo, the live social discovery app for Gen Z, has entered into a partnership with INHOPE Network (International Hotline Operators of Europe) to support its mission to combat the online spread of child sexual abuse material.
Since 2021, Yubo has proactively worked with the INHOPE Network to build a relationship that focuses on a safety-forward approach. INHOPE has 52 hotlines in 48 countries that allow the public to report illegal content online anonymously and facilitate Internet Service Providers’ swift removal of content from the internet.
As a platform serving teens and young adults, safety is a cornerstone of Yubo. Since launching in 2015, the platform has leveraged a suite of cutting-edge technologies for content moderation and enforcement of Community Guidelines with 24/7 support from human Safety Specialists based around the world. Yubo also works to teach users, and the parents of young users, about online safety best practices as an additional measure for safety risk mitigation through in-app awareness campaigns, online safety guides, and other such resources. Yubo is guided by a board of safety experts, made up of respected thought leaders from such organizations as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Thorn, and INTERPOL. As an INHOPE partner, Yubo adheres to the organization’s Code of Practice, which governs the members and the hotlines.
“Collaborating with leading online safety organizations like INHOPE Network is a crucial component of Yubo’s commitment to continually improving our safety infrastructure,” said Sharone Franco, Yubo Head of Public Policy. “The support and expertise of INHOPE has been invaluable to our team, and we look forward to expanding our relationship to continue to support INHOPE’s fight against CSAM.”
INHOPE’s international hotlines work by notifying ISPs of illegal content flagged by its analysts, who assess content according to national and international law. If the content is classified as illegal, the analyst identifies the hosting location of that content. When the hosting is in the same country, the hotline analyst will report it to the national law enforcement agency and the relevant Internet Service Provider in the country. If the content is hosted elsewhere, the analyst forwards the report to the relevant hotline through INHOPE’s secure platform ICCAM.
“Creating a virtual space for Gen Z that feels innately safe and fun is a feat, and Yubo has succeeded, working hard to make it so every day. INHOPE always advocates the importance of content moderation as an essential element of any positive online platform, alongside the power of prevention efforts to keep users safe, both of which are at the core of Yubo’s considerations as they develop new features,” said Samantha Woolfe, Head of Network Expansion and Global Partnerships at INHOPE. “Having worked with Yubo for some time now, knowing Yubo’s leadership’s serious ‘safety first’ attitude, and having collaborated for two decades with some of its Safety Council members, I am delighted that they are INHOPE’s latest funding partner. I welcome Yubo to INHOPE and champion their efforts.”
Yubo’s partnership with INHOPE follows the platform’s recent integration of GIFTC’s hash-sharing database, which helps to identify terrorist networks and activities online. In February, Yubo also became an electronic service provider partner of NCMEC’s Take It Down initiative to combat the spread of sexually inappropriate photos and videos of minors online.
ABOUT YUBO
Yubo is a live social discovery app making it easy for Gen Z to expand their social circles and hang out online with new friends from around the world. By eliminating likes and follows, we empower young people to show up as their true selves and connect as authentically as they would offline. Safety is a cornerstone of our platform, and we are proud to be the first social app in the world to introduce comprehensive user-age verification tools and real-time video and audio moderation for livestreams. Founded in France in 2015, Yubo today is used across more than 140 countries by over 60 million users. Visit us at yubo.live to learn more and follow our journey.
ABOUT INHOPE NETWORK
INHOPE is the global network combatting online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The Network consists of 52 hotlines in 48 countries that provide the public with a way to anonymously report illegal content online with a focus on CSAM. INHOPE is based in the Netherlands and our member Hotlines operate in all EU member states, Russia, South Africa, North & South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. In a borderless digital world, CSAM has global consequences. As CSAM increases, so do our efforts and those of our partners to combat it, aided by funding from the European Commission under the Better Internet for Kids Programme.
Contacts
Debora Lima, Yubo Media Director
[email protected]
01
Beyond parental controls: How Rotterdam’s ChatLicense empowers kids in the digital age