Issue One applauds historic action taken by the FTC to ban anonymous messaging app from hosting minors

This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a historic settlement with the anonymous app NGL following allegations of deceptive marketing practices and violations that resulted in serious harm against children and teens.

Under the terms of the settlement, NGL is banned from hosting any users under the age of 18.

In response, Issue One released the following statements from Alix Fraser, director of the Council for Responsible Social Media, and council member Kristin Bride, who filed last year’s complaint against NGL in partnership with Fairplay:

“America’s youth are facing a national epidemic of depression, anxiety, and loneliness,” said Kristin Bride. “Apps like NGL promote and monetize cyberbullying — creating a dangerous environment that is contributing to rising rates of suicide. These apps are not safe for kids. We must hold the social media platforms accountable for the harms their products are causing. The FTC has taken necessary action to protect families and minors, but it’s still not enough. It’s time for our elected leaders to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a commonsense bill that has overwhelming bipartisan support in and outside of Congress that will make the internet a healthier place.

“Majority Leader Schumer must bring KOSA to the floor of the Senate for a vote. With this powerful step, he can protect America’s children from the harms that have plagued them for too long.”

Alix Fraser added: “The action taken by the FTC to ban minors from using NGL is a significant step in our effort to bring overdue accountability to Big Tech. We are in the midst of a critical moment in the fight for responsible social media safeguards, one that could fundamentally transform our online environment for the better. Parents are doing everything they can to keep their kids safe online, but they can’t do this alone. Congress must follow the FTC’s lead and work together by passing KOSA into law.”

Kristin’s son, Carson, took his own life in 2020 after being cyberbullied by anonymous classmates using similar apps such as Yolo and LMK. Both apps were suspended by parent company Snapchat in May 2021 after Kristin filed a lawsuit alleging that Yolo and LMK violated consumer protection law by failing to abide by their own terms of service and policies. NGL subsequently launched in November 2021. Kristin wrote about her experience and advocacy in an op-ed published last year by USA Today.

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