Do you know how to protect your personal information or report something in the app that worries you?
We want you to have the best possible experience on Frog so we're here to help you deal with any difficult situations, whether it's having a bad feeling about another user, seeing an inappropriate or something else.
We've built some important safety features into the app and we've also created this guide to help you stay safer-as well as advice from the Frog team, you'll find tips from other teens.
Just give us 10 minutes of your time and, if you find this guide useful, why not pass it on your friends too?
Teen tip
1.Don't give away personal information. It's the stupidest thing you can do. 2.Use your brain. If someone is suspicious, block them. 3.Don't talk to anyone with no videos and verifications. 4.Don't send nudes. 5.Be cautious if something seems too good to be true. 6.Report whenever you feel is unsafe.
What do I need to be aware of?
Your time on Frog should be positive and fun experience. But, just like in the real world, things can go wrong. We use technical tools and moderators to detect fake profiles, harmful content and other issue, but we also rely on you reporting your concerns to us. Here are a couple of things to look out for when you're on Frog and other social apps.
*Bullying
Bullying can be really hurtful, whether it's online or in the real world. On social media, you might receive negative messages or feel pressured into doing something you'd rather not do. We ask all our users to respect one another-this includes thinking carefully before sending messages in case it could embarrass someone or hurt their feelings. We don't tolerate any form of bullying on Frog and we encourage you to report any incidents to us so that we can investigate them.
*Inappropriate contact from strangers
Unfortunately,not everyone you meet online is the kind of person you'd want to be friends with. In some cases, for example, adults set up fake profiles so they can target young people for sexual reasons.
It can be hard to tell if someone is pretending to be someone they are not and if they could be dangerous, but there are some warning signs:👇
1.Is the person you're chatting to very charming and keen to build a friendship with you quickly? 2.Do they pay you lots of attention, compliment you on the way you look and offer you gifts? 3.Have they talked to you about sec and/or asked you to share nude photos or take your clothes off? 4.Did they suggest you keep your chats secret or say you'll get into trouble if anone finds out? 5.Have they threatened or tried to blackmail you? 6.Do they want to meet you in person?
If you're suspicious of anyone you've met on Frog, talk to an adult or someone else you trust and let us know immediately so we can take action. Don't worry, you won't be in trouble-it's never your fault.
Advice
*Inappropriate language
Young people often test boundaries with the language they use on the internet, whether it's swearing or using emojis that have hidden sexual meaning. In fact, one of the challenges our Frog moderators face is that the way teenagers communicate changes all the time. As well as using swear words and other explicit language, young people often use certain phrases, acronyms and emojis as online code – something that looks harmless could actually be inappropriate for under-18s.
Our advice
Using rude or nasty language could easily offend or upset someone and might also break our community guidelines. Let us know about any offensive or inappropriate language on Frog so that we can notify the user that it is not allowed and decide whether to remove the content.
*Sexual Harassment
Unfortunately, some people go online to target children and teenagers for the wrong reasons, such as to groom them for sexual abuse. We have zero tolerance for the sexual exploitation of young people and work with law enforcement to take action against it.
Our advice
Think carefully before filming themselves – recording videos from their bedroom or classroom could reveal their exact location to strangers, for example. Trust your instincts about people you meet online and to recognise that if what someone says to you seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If you feel uncomfortable about someone who has approached you on Frog, report it to us immediately. We pass the details of any potentially criminal activity to law enforcement and agencies such as CEOP and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
The Frog team says
We're here to help if you're concerned about anything that happens on Frog. Take a look at our advice below and contact us when you're in the app.
1. Respect yourself and other people Frog is all about friends and having fun. We want it to be a positive, supportive community so we don't tolerate things like bullying and body shaming. Always be yourself and keep an eye out for your friends.
If you experience bullying or other inappropriate activity on Frog, let us know so we can do something about it. We can give warning, block users for bad behaviour and delete the account directly.
2. Think before you share Everything you do online stays online. Take a minute to consider what you're about to send...could it embarrass you or upset someone else? If you share inappropriate things or bully someone on Frog, for example, you'll be breaking our community guidelines and you might even be breaking the law.
3. Trust your instincts Have you met someone on Frog who seems like a creep-perhaps they are asking you personal questions, paying you comliments and suggesting you keep your chats secret?
Do you think something you've seen on the app could be harmful or illegal? Talk to an adult or someone else ou trust and contact us immediately so we can investigate.
We pass the details on to the police. You can also block other uses from your profile. As a general rule, you shouldn't agree to meet someone in person unless you know then well-if you do decide to meet them after chatting online, don't go alone.
Frog users say
We asked 100 teenagers who use Frog "What advice would you give to a friend about staying safer on Frog?" They had lots of really useful suggestions about things like spotting suspicious profiles, blocking people and reporting concerns. Here are 10 of their top tips and you can find others throughout this guide.
1. Avoid profiles with no videos and verifications. 2. Only talk to people you feel comfortable with. As soon as you feel uncomfortable, stop. 3. Don't get too attacted to people you don't know. 4. Report and block. 5. Ask the Frog team for help.