Nov 13, 2023 20:00:00

``Omegle'', which allows you to talk to strangers via video chat, ends its 14-year-old service after being criticized for being ``linked to sexual abuse of minors''

Omegle, a video chat service launched in 2009 by Leaf K. Brooks, an 18-year-old programmer, was forced to shut down after being criticized for being a hotbed for sexual crimes.

Omegle

https://www.omegle.com/

Omegle, the Site That Paired Strangers for Video Chats, Is Dead
https://www.404media.co/omegle-shut-down-offline/

Popular video chat service Omegle shuts down | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/09/omegle-shutdown/

According to analysis firm SimilarWeb, Omegle, which has been open for 14 years, is still popular as of 2023, with approximately 50 million visitors as of October. However, crimes are often committed through the service, and the service has been the subject of several lawsuits in the past.

In 2021, a woman filed a lawsuit against Omegle for $22 million (approximately 2.5 billion yen at the time). The woman claims she used Omegle to interact with an adult man when she was 11 years old, and that he induced her to masturbate and urinate on him over a three-year period. The man was later investigated by authorities on suspicion of possessing child pornography.

The plaintiff's attorney

pointed out in this case, ``Omegle is not a service that introduces strangers for the sake of freedom of speech, that is, a free exchange of ideas, but rather a service that leads to criminal activity.'' They complained that the service could facilitate sexual abuse.

Services such as X and Facebook, where users post content and interact with each other, are generally prohibited in the United States by Article 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which states that ``service providers are not, in principle, responsible for information transmitted by third parties.'' is protected. However, in the case of Omegle, the judge pointed out that ``the design itself is the cause of the harm,'' and argued that interactions between users cannot be a direct cause of the damage. Ultimately, the lawsuit was settled in November 2023.

Another victim also filed

a lawsuit against Omegle in 2023, and Omegle asked for and was granted an extension to respond to the complaint until November 10th. Omegle was closed until the deadline for filing a complaint, and Mr. Brooks made the following comment upon closure.

'Whatever the reason, people are becoming less hesitant to attack others and slower to recognize each other's humanity. One aspect of this is the constant attacks on communication services, including Omegle. The only way to make these people happy is to stop providing services.”

'Virtually any tool can be used for good or evil. A telephone may be used to say 'happy birthday' to grandma, or it may be used to call a bomb threat. I have to admit that some people have misused Omegle, including to commit unspeakably heinous crimes.However, I do not accept my responsibility as a ' Good Samaritan ' and my commitment to fighting crime. In addition to the basic safety features of accountability and anonymity, we did a lot of behind-the-scenes moderation, including cutting-edge AI working in conjunction with a team of human moderators.”

“While we have tried to make many improvements over the years, it is also true that we feel that the recent attacks on our company are not constructive. The stress and expense of this battle is simply too much. Omegle Operations is no longer sustainable, both financially and psychologically. Frankly, you don't want to have a heart attack in your 30s.'

“The Omegle battle has been lost, but the battle against the Internet continues. Virtually every online communication service is under attack similar to Omegle. Some are large companies with far greater resources. But there's always a breaking point somewhere. Unless things change soon, the Internet I've come to love will cease to exist, and in its place will be replaced by something more like a souped-up version of television. I'm worried about that.'

Omegle is already inaccessible at the time of article creation. Regarding this matter, some voices regret the closure, while others welcome it , saying, ``The world will be a better place if it is closed.''

◆Forum now open
A forum related to this article has been set up on the GIGAZINE official Discord server . Anyone can write freely, so please feel free to comment! If you do not have a Discord account, please create one by referring to the article explaining how to create an account!

• Discord | 'Have you ever used Omegle, which allows you to video chat with strangers? ' | GIGAZINE
https://discord.com/channels/1037961069903216680/1173910629824864306