Tech Tips for Parents: Apps to Know About

With technology that changes daily, we asked law enforcement for the top apps parents should know about.

Unfortunately, many common apps have hidden dangers, so we asked law enforcement which apps were on their radar. The apps listed below have been flagged by law enforcement for dangerous activity.

Download a printable version of this list.

	​Mega is a file-sharing app that offers end-to-end encrypted storage for photos, videos, and data. Mega is often a preferred choice among some criminal groups or communities for sharing files, such as revenge porn, child pornography, and hacked files. This is one of the first apps law enforcement looks for when investigating child pornography cases.
	Kik is a messaging app that enables users to create anonymous accounts without verifying their age. Kik’s built-in web browser, games, and video access make it a self-contained social network where users can communicate with each other privately. 70% of Kik’s users are between the ages of 13-24, which has attracted adult predators to the app. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation stated that “despite numerous media and law enforcement callouts, Kik has made barely any progress in shutting down predators and other behavior that goes directly against their guidelines.” As a result, Kik was placed on their Dirty Dozen List for 2022.
	Telegram is an encrypted and largely unmonitored messaging app created to provide uncensored communication between citizens of autocratic countries. It has hundreds of millions of users, and has become infamous as a safe haven for terrorists, Nazi channels, and child pornography.
	​Vibo is a new live-streaming app often used for targeting and grooming minors, and for child pornography. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, "Your child’s presence on a live-streaming platform means they are now exposed to millions of people at the touch of a button, including individuals who wish to harm children. These ill-intentioned individuals are aware of the unique vulnerability of children online and often entice children to undress, expose themselves on camera, engage in sexual activity independently and with others (i.e. siblings, friends, pets), and engage in self-harming behaviors."
	​Secret Calculator Vaults look like a calculator and can even function like one. There are many versions of this type of app. Some of the common features of these secret calculator vaults: Password protected – a user must know the password to access the hidden apps Hidden apps can be used from within the Calculator Vault, but also on the main interface of the phone. This means your child could have separate social media accounts you don’t know about. Hides apps from the phone’s home screen and list of recently used apps Gallery Module hides pictures and videos Has a hidden camera – uses the phone/tablet’s camera to take photos, but saves them to a secret gallery instead of the main gallery
	Snapchat is an app for messaging and sharing photos and videos. The temporary nature of Snapchat messages could lead some teens to sext or "send nudes." Even though images disappear from Snapchat, screen grabs can be taken and potentially be shared in the future. Snap Map is a location-sharing feature that can be used by anyone to track kids' movements, including predators. My Eyes Only is an encrypted photo vault within Snapchat that requires a passcode to access and can be used to store explicit photos or videos. Because it is encrypted, without the passcode, Snapchat can't report the content and law enforcement can't access it.
	TikTok is used for creating and sharing videos. With limited privacy controls, users are vulnerable to explicit content and cyberbullying. However, TikTok provides special features and protections for younger users, so young people need to enter their correct birth year when signing up. To encourage healthy sleep, TikTok restricts teens ages 13 to 15 from receiving push notifications after 9:00pm. Also, accounts for 13- to 15-year-olds are set to "private" by default, and they cannot send or receive direct messages. Additionally, features like suggesting your account to others or video downloads are by default turned off for 16- and 17-year-olds. Again, these safeguards only work if the account holder’s birth year is correct.
	One of the newest trends law enforcement officers have seen is teens using digital currency apps like Cash App, Zelle, Paypal, Venmo, and Apple Pay to transfer money in exchange for explicit photos/videos. As a result, law enforcement recommends that teenagers don't have digital currency apps. However, if your teen does have one of these apps, be sure to monitor the transactions.