10 votes

Yik Yak, the anonymous app that tested free speech, is back

20 comments

  1. [10]
    joplin
    Link
    You may remember the anonymous social media app Yik Yak from a few years ago. It allowed you to post anonymous messages in a Twitter-like fashion, but they would only be available within a certain...

    You may remember the anonymous social media app Yik Yak from a few years ago. It allowed you to post anonymous messages in a Twitter-like fashion, but they would only be available within a certain geographical region, if I recall correctly. It almost immediately turned into a way for kids to bully each other, leading to exactly the problems you would have guessed upon thinking up the idea. They eventually lost too many subscribers and folded. Well apparently they're back under new management but supposedly will keep bullying and hate speech off of it, somehow. I don't hold much hope that they'll succeed where so many others have failed.

    9 votes
    1. [3]
      Micycle_the_Bichael
      Link Parent
      Huh. I don’t doubt this because it’s how I would expect the app to be used, but when it was out the first time it wasn’t really used for that on my college campus. Mostly we had memes, jokes,...

      Huh. I don’t doubt this because it’s how I would expect the app to be used, but when it was out the first time it wasn’t really used for that on my college campus. Mostly we had memes, jokes, occasional thirst yaks, and a lot of “I am going to kill myself” posts

      9 votes
      1. Merry
        Link Parent
        There was one student at my college who threatened a mass shooting and was arrested. While searching for information about it, I came across this list of arrests made because of Yik Yak posts:

        There was one student at my college who threatened a mass shooting and was arrested. While searching for information about it, I came across this list of arrests made because of Yik Yak posts:

        Yik Yak Arrests Timeline:

        February 21, 2015 York, NE** – An 18yr old York High School student was arrested for this one. – KLKN. A threat was made via Yik Yak on

        February 16, 2015. Search warrants have been issued. As of 2/20/2015 an arrest is near. – Omaha.com

        February 19, 2015 Wray, CO – An “anonymously posted veiled threat” posted on Yik Yak was made – arrests are pending –KDVR

        February 13, 2015 Knoxville, IA – A 13 & 14yr old at Knoxville Middle School were both charged as juveniles with conspiracy to commit terrorism after making threats via Yik Yak at Knoxville Middle School. – WHOtv.com

        January 23, 2015 Haverford PA – A 20yr old former Haverford High School student was arrested and charged in connection with a threat made to the school via Yik Yak on January 5, 2015. – NBC Philadelphia

        January 22, 2015 Lakeville, MA – A 19-year-old Lakeville man was arrested after online threats were made via Yik Yak against Apponequet Regional High School. – WBSM

        January 21, 2105 Waverly NY – A 19yr old Waverly man was arrested for posting threats on Yik Yak on

        December 3, 2014 at CCC that led to evacuation of Corning Community College’s dormitory. – Star Gazette

        December 31, 2104 East Lyme, CT – An 18yr old was arrested for making threats at East Lyme High School using Yik Yak. – WTNH

        December 23, 2014 Southington, CT – An 18yr old was arrested of posting threats against Southington High School. – WTNH

        December 17, 2014 Ocean Springs, MS – An Ocean Springs High School student was arrested for making threats against the High School. – Gulflive.com

        December 17, 2014 Charlotte, NC – A 22yr old man was arrested by Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD and charged with a misdemeanor of “anonymous threatening” for posting threats against a Providence High School. – WCNC

        December 16, 2014 Cullman County, AL – A Good Hope High School student was arrested facing felony charges of making a terrorist-type threat. – WNCN

        November 24, 2014 East Lansing, MI – A Michigan State University (MSU) student was arrested for making threats on Yik Yak. – State News

        November 21, 2014 San Diego CA: A 16yr old girl was arrested for posting threats on Yik Yak at Canyon Crest Academy. – LA Times
        In response to this students started a “think before you post” campaign. – Fox 5 San Diego

        November 21, 2014 San Diego CA: A 17yr old boy was arrested for posting threats on Yik Yak at Torrey Pines High School. – The San Diego Union-Tribune

        November 21, 2014 Pleasant Hill, IA: 3 students (2 16 and a 13yr old) were arrested by Pleasant Hill Police for making threats on Yik Yak against Southeast Polk Schools. – KCCI News

        November 20, 2014 Chapel Hill NC: Since this one was near us, we covered it live here: Someone at UNC Chapel Hill posted a threat on Yik Yak. The suspect has been arrested as predicted.- ABC11

        November 14,2014 Landrum, SC: A University of South Carolina (USC) freshman was arrested for posting a threat via Yik Yak. – GoUpstate.com

        November 6, 2014 Albany NY: A University of Albany football player has been arrested for making a bomb threat against a school on the Yik Yak social app. – Albany Time Warner Cable News

        November 6, 2014 Russellville, AL: A 16yr old Russellville High School student was arrested for making a bomb threat on Yik Yak. –AL.com

        November 6, 2014: Franklin County, AL: A 17yr old Tharptown High School student was charged with making a bomb threat via Yik Yak, the second threat in Northwest Alabama in the same day. – WHNT

        November 5, 2014: Duncan, OK – A 15yr old was arrested for making threats near Duncan High School via Yik Yak – KWSO

        October 31, 2014 Daviess County, Washington: Police arrested a teenager for posting a bomb threat near Washington High School. The 18yr old was later identified and charged with one count of intimidation, a level 6 felony. – WBIW

        October 29, 2014 New Richmond, OH: A New Richmond High School student was arrested after making a shooting threat on Yik Yak. He was also suspended. – Cincinnati.com

        October 25, 2014 Canton NY: A 20yr old SUNY Canton student was charged with making threats against the school. He is facing up to 5 years in prison. – Syracuse.com

        October 20, 2014 Latham NY: A 16yr old was arrested for making a threat on Yik Yak at a Shenendehowa High School. He was charged with Falsely Reporting an Incident in the Second degree, a felony.- WTEN

        October 17, 2014 Des Moines IA: Today’s Yik Yak arrest is an 18yr old Drake University student who has been accused of making threats on the social media app and arrested for first-degree harassment. – KCCI

        October 17, 2014 Walworth County, WI: A high school student was arrested for making threats on Yik Yak. The threats put the entire Delavan-Darien School District on lockdown.– WDJT

        October 12, 2014 Tinton Falls, NJ: A 20-year-old Tinton Falls student at Penn State University admitted today to threatening to shoot up a university building via Yik Yak. – NJ.com

        October 10, 2014 Brunswick County, NC: A South Brunswick High School student was arrested Friday in connection to making a false bomb threat to his school using the social media app- WECT

        October 9, 2014 Bakersfield, CA: A 16yr old was arrested near Liberty High for making a threat via Yik Yak. – Bakersfield Californian

        October 8, 2014 Sellersville PA: A 19yr old man was arrested by Pennridge Regional Police within hours of posting a threatening messages on Yik Yak near Pennridge High School. – The Morning Call

        October 7, 2014 Chester, PA: A 20yr old freshman at Widener University was arrested after making a shooting threat on Yik Tak. Ironically the student was a criminal justice major. – CBS Philly

        October 6, 2014 Sparkill, NY: A foreign exchange student at St. Thomas Aquinas College has been arrested and is accused of generating making a terrorist threat via Yik Yak. – Harlem Valley News

        October 4, 2014 Townson, MD: An 18yr old Towson University student has been arrested after making a threat against the campus via Yik Yak. – Baltimore Sun

        October 2, 2014 Hattiesburg, MS: The University of Southern Mississippi Police have arrested a second student in connection with a Yik Yak threat that happened at USM last week. – WJTV

        September 26, 2014 Kearny, NE: Campus police at the University of Nebraska at Kearney have arrested a
        19-year-old student in connection with threats posted on Yik Yak. – KETV7

        September 25, 2014 Clewiston FL: A 17yr old was arrested for posting a threat on Yik Yak at Clewiston High School. – WINK News

        September 25, 2014 Ludlow MA: An 18yr old man was arrested for posting threatening messages near a Ludlow High School on Yik Yak. Masslive

        September 24, 2014 Wayne NJ: An 18yr old Pompton Lakes man was arrested for making a threat on yik yak at William Paterson University and North Haledon schools. NJ.com

        September 23, 2104 Indianapolis, IN: Police issue warning against using Yik Yak for making threats. From the article: “Police can find out who you are. In most instances we will find out who you are and we will arrest you.” – FOX59

        September 22, 2014 University, MS: A 20yr old USM/University of Mississippi student was arrested for yakking “The red will flow tomorrow in JGH. I recommend missing class.” See the story on WHLT22.

        September 19, 2014 Terre Haute, IN: A 19yr old was arrested for making a school shooting threat on Yik Yak at ISU/Indiana State University. She was arrested on a preliminary charge of harassment. – FOX59

        September 19, 2014 Athens, GA: A 19yr old UGA student is arrested for a threatening post he put on Yik Yak at University of Georgia. – Red and Black

        September 16, 2014 Westchester County, NY: Yorktown High School teenager arrested after making threats against his Yorktown, LI high school via Yik Yak. – Yorktown Daily Voice

        September 15, 2014 Long Island, NY: A Long Island student was arrested after posting about a school threat on Yik Yak. The teen has been charged with making terrorist threats against Mount Sinai High School. – NBC New York

        March 14, 2014 Marblehead MA: A high school student was arrested for posting threats on Yik Yak at Marblehead High School. – Metro.us

        February 21, 2014 Mobile, Alabama: A second juvenile, 14yrs old, arrested for threats at McGill-Toolen High School via Yik Yak. – Fox10TV

        February 20, 2014 Mobile, Alabama: A 16yr old juvenile arrested for school threats on Yik Yak. Students and parents from McGill-Toolen High School were on alert Wednesday, February 19 after the rumor targeted the high school. By Friday the juvenile was in cuffs. – WKRG News

        12 votes
      2. joplin
        Link Parent
        Yeah, it might have been more at the high school/junior high level where the bullying happened. I do remember reading stories about it at the time, though.

        Yeah, it might have been more at the high school/junior high level where the bullying happened. I do remember reading stories about it at the time, though.

        7 votes
    2. [4]
      raze2012
      Link Parent
      excuse me for being a bit snide but: how does this differ from any other social media in the past 20 years?

      It almost immediately turned into a way for kids to bully each other, leading to exactly the problems you would have guessed upon thinking up the idea.

      excuse me for being a bit snide but: how does this differ from any other social media in the past 20 years?

      4 votes
      1. [2]
        Gaywallet
        Link Parent
        I think it's a stretch to even call it social media. Social media implies there is a way to be social on the platform - user names you can recognize and interact with. Messages, posts, or other...

        I think it's a stretch to even call it social media. Social media implies there is a way to be social on the platform - user names you can recognize and interact with. Messages, posts, or other content tied back to a user.

        This platform existed purely to place anonymous messages. Think of it like a digital version of the bathroom stall, where you can post whatever you want without concern for who reads it, if anyone.

        Social media platforms, while problematic with childhood bullying, do actually allow for people to be social with one another. Content is tied to a user and there are ways for users to interact with one another. This allows for plenty of positive social interactions. By removing any possibility of knowing who someone is without self-identification, you're removing any truly social aspects of a platform.

        To compare this with say facebook or instagram where bullying behavior is incredibly easy to see or surface, where more eyes are familiar with it, and where users are tied to their content very directly is a false dichotomy at best. Even other platforms designed around some level of pseudo-anonymity (usernames only) or temporary media (such as snapchat) is frankly unfair as those systems can still self-regulate via social pressures to an extent.

        4 votes
        1. raze2012
          Link Parent
          Thanks for the clarification. So this is a bit more like 4chan, but while also removing the "threads". so it's just a bunch of posts loosely floating around in the ether with a bit of geolocation...

          Thanks for the clarification. So this is a bit more like 4chan, but while also removing the "threads". so it's just a bunch of posts loosely floating around in the ether with a bit of geolocation to scope it in.

          Definitely an odd idea, if nothing else. But this idea seems to be the progenitor of what Snapchat did later (keeping the ephemerality but bringing back the personal element), so I guess it's not the most bizarre.

          3 votes
      2. joplin
        Link Parent
        I think it's different when you know who's saying it. It still hurts, but if you know it's that jerk who's always picking on you, then you at least know where it's coming from. But if it's...

        I think it's different when you know who's saying it. It still hurts, but if you know it's that jerk who's always picking on you, then you at least know where it's coming from. But if it's anonymous, then it becomes, "What if it's not that jerk and everyone feels this way but just isn't telling me?" Also, if it's not anonymous, you stand a better chance of being able to tell an adult about it and getting something done about it, whereas if it's anonymous, what can an adult do about it? They don't know who it came from and don't have any way to find out short of suing the company, which most people can't afford to do.

        2 votes
    3. nukeman
      Link Parent
      I suspect they’d do far better if they kept the under-18s off. I don’t remember major problems when I used it in college.

      I suspect they’d do far better if they kept the under-18s off. I don’t remember major problems when I used it in college.

      2 votes
    4. Parliament
      Link Parent
      I'm too old for Yik Yak, but I remember JuicyCampus. It was basically just people anonymously slut shaming with no moderation.

      I'm too old for Yik Yak, but I remember JuicyCampus. It was basically just people anonymously slut shaming with no moderation.

      2 votes
  2. [10]
    Akir
    Link
    I’m not surprised to see this demonstrably bad idea come back. But I am surprised to see that they are launching for iOS only. They are quite literally leaving half of the market on the table. If...

    I’m not surprised to see this demonstrably bad idea come back. But I am surprised to see that they are launching for iOS only. They are quite literally leaving half of the market on the table. If they are making mistakes that egregious, I highly doubt how much they are going to be able to handle the bullying and hate problems.

    5 votes
    1. [4]
      stu2b50
      Link Parent
      Not surprised it's iOS only. Many apps pilot on iOS exclusively because it simultaneously has more paying customers with less customers, so most of your revenue but less headaches from scale. In...

      Not surprised it's iOS only. Many apps pilot on iOS exclusively because it simultaneously has more paying customers with less customers, so most of your revenue but less headaches from scale.

      In 2020, iOS generated 80b in app store payment revenue while the play store had only 39b despite absolutely dwarfing iOS in worldwide numbers and being even in the US. iPhone users are much more willing to pay up.

      9 votes
      1. [3]
        Akir
        Link Parent
        That number is misleading, though, since iOS forces developers to take payments from them, wheras on Android you can use your own payment processor, which is very common in China right now.

        That number is misleading, though, since iOS forces developers to take payments from them, wheras on Android you can use your own payment processor, which is very common in China right now.

        5 votes
        1. vord
          Link Parent
          I'm not up on IOS, so someone feel free to correct me... but I also am not remotely surprised that Android apps are generally less profitable. I've been on Android since the Droid around 11 years...

          I'm not up on IOS, so someone feel free to correct me... but I also am not remotely surprised that Android apps are generally less profitable.

          I've been on Android since the Droid around 11 years ago. I've purchased less than 20 apps in that time. Most of them were just for removing ads or support-the-dev voluntary purchase.

          I rarely buy apps on Android because the vast majority of my needs are solved by open source software. I always open Fdroid first. Entire swaths of app categories no longer need payment because somebody was scratching their own itch.

          If that doesn't have it, I'll probably find some free app that does what I need, then uninstall it when I'm done.

          I don't think this kind of market exists in IOS, at least not anywhere near the same degree.

          5 votes
        2. babypuncher
          Link Parent
          This isn't true. They are currently getting sued over the requirement to run transactions through Google same as Apple. You can release your app on a third party store, but being exclusive to one...

          on Android you can use your own payment processor

          This isn't true. They are currently getting sued over the requirement to run transactions through Google same as Apple.

          You can release your app on a third party store, but being exclusive to one is apparently so detrimental to revenue that Fortnite ended up crawling back to the Play store anyways.

          These numbers shouldn't be surprising though, as Android casts a much wider net. Android handsets can be had for as little as $50, making them available to just about anyone who can afford cell service to begin with. iPhones start at $400. From the get go iOS users are more likely to have discretionary income to spend on premium games and subscriptions.

          5 votes
    2. [2]
      drannex
      Link Parent
      75% of the market on the table

      They are quite literally leaving half of the market on the table.

      75% of the market on the table

      6 votes
      1. babypuncher
        Link Parent
        Yik Yak is US only for now, which is a 50/50 Android/iOS split.

        Yik Yak is US only for now, which is a 50/50 Android/iOS split.

        4 votes
    3. [3]
      babypuncher
      Link Parent
      iOS almost always come first because iOS users are more likely to become paying customers. Android may be home to half your downloads but it's not uncommon for 80% of your revenue to come from iOS.

      iOS almost always come first because iOS users are more likely to become paying customers. Android may be home to half your downloads but it's not uncommon for 80% of your revenue to come from iOS.

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        vord
        Link Parent
        It does occur to me....wasn't Yik Yak a free app? With the modern app cross-platform toolsets, it seems odd to exclude Android for a free app. Esp since the entire functionality could just be...

        It does occur to me....wasn't Yik Yak a free app?

        With the modern app cross-platform toolsets, it seems odd to exclude Android for a free app.

        Esp since the entire functionality could just be implemented on a mobile website instead.

        1 vote
        1. babypuncher
          Link Parent
          It could just be a means to limit the size of the userbase while they work out the kinks in their new moderation tools

          It could just be a means to limit the size of the userbase while they work out the kinks in their new moderation tools

          1 vote