[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16.1″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” background_enable_color=”on” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.16.1″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”2px||4px|2%|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”0px||0px||true|false” module_alignment_tablet=”” module_alignment_phone=”center” module_alignment_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_team_member name=”Qustodio Team” position=”Experts in digital safety ” image_url=”https:\/\/static.qustodio.com\/public-site\/uploads\/2021\/10\/01090043\/Qustodio-Team.png” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” width=”80%” width_tablet=”” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”||24px|7px|false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” position_text_align_tablet=”” position_text_align_phone=”center” position_text_align_last_edited=”on|phone” text_orientation_tablet=”” text_orientation_phone=”center” text_orientation_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_team_member][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.qustodio.com\/public-site\/uploads\/2022\/10\/04080659\/NGL-Safety-Guide_Hero.png” alt=”Is the NGL app safe for kids to use?” title_text=”NGL-Safety Guide_Hero” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||24px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-80px|||||” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Remember those anonymous notes passed from closed fist to fist in the classroom? \u201cRebekah has a crush on you.\u201d \u201cYou look hot today.\u201d Signed, nobody. The mystery was out there, ready to be solved.<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to the internet, there\u2019s now a way to keep that secretive magic alive. Through the NGL app, anonymous messages, compliments, secrets and opinions can be shared in an instant. We\u2019re not gonna lie (sorry) – <\/span>the NGL concept sounds like a recipe for cyberbullying, self-esteem issues, and outright toxicity<\/b>, especially in the hands of young teens. Its makers claim its algorithm is enough to detect this type of damaging behavior, but does it really work? And is NGL safe for kids to use?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Launched in 2021 by a Californian team of engineers and designers, <\/span>NGL (short for not gonna lie) is a space for people to \u201cshare their feelings without judgment from friends or societal pressures\u201d<\/b>, according to the app\u2019s homepage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Aimed specifically at teens and younger users, <\/span>NGL encourages you to send anonymous messages, opinions, and feelings<\/b>, requested specifically through a question \u201cprompt\u201d. For example, you could encourage people to \u201csend anonymous confessions\u201d, describe you in 3 words, or have them tell you what they think about you. Here\u2019s hoping you have thick skin.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n To get started, you need to enter your Instagram username. Once you\u2019ve created a question or prompt to share, you can post the link on your story – even when <\/span>Instagram\u2019s parental controls<\/span><\/a> are active.<\/span><\/p>\n To answer, people follow the link and leave their thoughts, messages, and feelings through their own Instagram account – although their username isn\u2019t shared along with the answer<\/strong>. Their anonymous messages will then begin to collect in the app\u2019s \u201cInbox\u201d for you to read.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n NGL also has a \u201cpro\u201d version, where <\/span>you can pay to receive hints about who shared the anonymous message<\/b>. These hints don\u2019t reveal their name or IG handle, but they can include tip-offs such as their location, or device used, which makes the concept rather less \u201canonymous\u201d than it\u2019s made out to be.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In addition, <\/span>you can choose to share any messages you receive in your NGL inbox<\/b>, ranging from anonymous confessions to controversial opinions. All you have to do is click \u201creply\u201d in the NGL app, which will then create an Instagram story version of the response. You can share this anonymous response to your follower list – so it\u2019s worth noting that \u201canonymous\u201d doesn\u2019t mean private, either.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.qustodio.com\/public-site\/uploads\/2022\/10\/04082031\/NGL-Safety-Guide_InsideImage.png” alt=”Is NGL really anonymous?” title_text=”NGL-Safety Guide_InsideImage” align=”center” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Despite being touted as a \u201csafe space for teens\u201d, <\/span>NGL\u2019s terms of service<\/span><\/a> state that <\/span>users must be over the age of 18 to use the app<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n No age verification is required, however, so anyone with an Instagram account can set up an account. <\/span>You don\u2019t have to enter your date of birth, or any other information about your age, on signup for NGL<\/b>. Instagram requires users to be 13 to create an account, which means teens under the age of 18 could easily sign up for NGL, in a simple process which only really requires two steps (app download and entering Instagram username).<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In order to keep its users safe, the app\u2019s developers use an algorithm capable of detecting harmful language, bullying, and even \u201csemantic meaning of emojis\u201d, meaning <\/span>NGL could potentially identify offensive or harmful use of emojis<\/b>. The algorithm is updated to understand the latest slang and trends, so harmful messaging doesn\u2019t fly under the radar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But can this actually work in reality? And is offensive language really the only risk of an app like NGL?<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n 1. Harmful language doesn\u2019t always have to be overtly offensive<\/b><\/p>\n The NGL app didn\u2019t censor us when we sent messages of \u201cI don\u2019t like you\u201d, and \u201cYou suck\u201d anonymously. These messages might sound tame, but receiving anonymous negative responses about your character or personality can be damaging to anyone – especially young people.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n 2. Secret sharing can be damaging to self-esteem<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n Of course, not every message sent through NGL is negative. Compliments and niceties are frequently sent through the app. That means that the odd upsetting message could easily be brushed aside, or treated as a one-off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But what if harmful or negative responses occur regularly? Honesty isn\u2019t always the best policy – on an app like this, it\u2019s just one person\u2019s \u201ctruth\u201d. Children and young people could easily begin to believe any negative things sent to them, in turn damaging their self-esteem and self-image.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 3. Sharing of anonymous responses could create potential bullying victims<\/b><\/p>\n NGL gives the option to \u201creply\u201d to an anonymous response. Just as they did with the famous folded-up note, passed through the rows of a classroom, readers will begin to speculate about who wrote the message. The suspect could become a potential target for bullying or ridicule, depending on the anonymous confession shared.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n 4. The NGL app has allegedly sent fake messages to trick its users<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n According to Techcrunch<\/span><\/a>, if users didn\u2019t get any engagement on an NGL shared post, the app would start to generate its own anonymous messages. These would then be sent to the user\u2019s inbox. This also means that if users paid for the \u201cpro\u201d tier of NGL, they\u2019d be paying for hints on messages sent by a bot!\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n 5. NGL, like any social media app, collects personal information from users<\/b><\/p>\n Creating an NGL account provides the company with both usage data and personal information. This means NGL can collect and store information such as the cell phone you\u2019re using, your IP address, profile details on Instagram, and both payment and contact details. <\/span><\/p>\n This data can be exchanged with affiliates, partners, and service providers, and it\u2019s important to remember, as <\/span>NGL\u2019s privacy policy<\/span><\/a> states, \u201cno method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n We\u2019d highly recommend sticking to the age restrictions highlighted in NGL\u2019s terms of service – meaning the app is only suitable for teens aged 18 and above. The risk to your child\u2019s self-esteem and their right to privacy is just not worth it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s not the first time anonymous apps like NGL have gone viral, and it certainly won\u2019t be the last. <\/b>The popularity of <\/span>Ask.fm<\/span><\/a>, Yik Yak, and Whisper is proof that anonymous sharing is a trend enjoyed by generation after generation. If you think your teen is using NGL or similar apps, it\u2019s worth doing these three things:<\/span><\/p>\nWhat is the NGL app?<\/b><\/h2>\n
How does NGL work?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Is NGL really anonymous? <\/b><\/h2>\n
How old do you have to be to use NGL?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Is the NGL app safe? <\/b><\/h2>\n
What makes NGL risky for teens<\/b><\/h2>\n
Qustodio\u2019s final advice on the NGL app<\/b><\/h2>\n
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