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Kik Messenger

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Kik Messenger
Developer(s)Kik Interactive
Initial releaseOctober 19, 2010 (2010-10-19)
Stable release
6.6
Operating systemiOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, BlackBerry, Symbian
Available inEnglish
TypeInstant Messaging Client
LicenseProprietary freeware
Websitewww.kik.com

Kik Messenger is an instant messaging application for mobile devices. The app is available on most iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Symbian operating systems free of charge.[1] Kik Messenger is similar to BlackBerry's Messenger, and iPhone's iMessage.[2] Kik uses a smartphone's data plan or Wi-Fi to transmit and receive messages, a feature that appeals to individuals looking to avoid text messaging rates set by phone service providers.[3] Kik offers swift text messaging service and also allows users to share photos, sketches, voice messages, and other content. Kik Messenger requires users to register a username as form of identification.

History

Founded in 2009, Kik Interactive is the work of a group of students from the University of Waterloo who wished to create new technologies to be used on mobile smartphones, which they believe are the future of computing and communication.[4] Kik Messenger is the first app developed by Kik.

A beta version of Kik Messenger came out in April 2010.[4] Kik Messenger was released on October 19, 2010 by Kik Interactive.[5][6] It took only 15 days for Kik Messenger to reach one million user registrations, with Twitter being credited as a catalyst for the new application's popularity.[7]

On November 24, 2010, Research In Motion removed Kik Messenger from BlackBerry App World and limited the functionality of the software for its users.[8] It also sued the company for copyright infringement.[9] In October 2013, Blackberry and Kik settled the lawsuit, with the terms undisclosed.[10]

On March 7, 2011, Kik announced $8 million in Series A funding by three venture capital firms – RRE Ventures, Spark Capital, and Union Square Ventures. It also announced that Fred Wilson of USV and Adam Ludwin of RRE Ventures would join the company's board of directors.[11]

Early 2012 saw a great increase in the number of Kik users, with 450,000 people downloading the app in a single day. Another landmark was reached in April 2012 with Kik users reaching the 10 million mark. Kik Messenger became the top-downloaded free social app in iTunes in the United States in July 2012. As of April 11, 2013, there were a total of 50 million unique users registered.[12]

On April 22, 2013, Kik announced $19.5 million in Series B funding by led by Foundation Capital and including RRE Ventures, Spark Capital and Union Square Ventures. The Waterloo-based messaging app company will be using the funding to help continue to support its growth, and the new injection of cash comes at a crucial point for the company as it sets its sights on broader platform ambitions with the recently introduced Cards feature.[13]

Controversy

Law enforcement agencies in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom have cautioned parents that using Kik Messenger risks exposing children to nefarious materials, usually forcing minors to partake in “sexting”, a form of child sexual abuse.[14] [15] [16] [17] [18] In Australia, the Victoria Police have warned that pedophiles are using Kik to request sexually explicit images from children, and in some cases are then using those pictures to try and coerce them into performing sexual acts. [19] New South Wales Police have described it as "the number one social media problem involving teenagers", which most parents are unaware of. [20] Cyber Safety expert Ross Bark said Kik and Instagram are a dangerous combination for teenagers, who post photographs publicly on Instagram and then invite viewers to Kik privately to chat.[21] The danger is that apps or websites allow communication with strangers, who share their Kik usernames publicly,[22] and the conversations and images can't be viewed publicly, which makes it much harder for parents to monitor Kik, as opposed to Facebook or Twitter. Police are concerned that drug dealers and pedophiles “trawl” Kik, taking advantage of that hidden communication.[23]

There are cases where people have used Kik Messenger to commit serious crimes, such as sexual assault, by luring victims to various locations. In the U.S. an Irving man, Jesus Adalid Madrid-Dubon, 27, raped a woman who he met through Kik Messenger, Madrid-Dubon was found to be involved in a series of similar cases. In 2013, a Dallas teenager was abducted, the victim told investigators that she was "kidnapped by a man whom she met on Kik".[24] Children in the U.S. and Australia are continuously targeted by pedophiles and predators, who coerce victims into sending sexually explicit materials and groom them for sexual acts via Kik.[25] [26] When the children would not comply with predators demand for explicit photographs, they threaten and harass them.[27] Kik lacks age verification and conversation scanning software that sites like Facebook use, which allows them to flag questionable conversations based on keywords and the age of the participants. As a result, Kik Messenger is largely unregulated. [28]

Jackson Roland Westermeyer, 18, was charged by Huntington Beach Police Department for posing as a girl and threatening more than 100 boys to send him explicit photos. More than 1,700 different conversations were found stored on Westermeyer's Kik; some dating back over a year, police said. Law enforcement were still trying to identify pictures of 50 to 100 more children found in Westermeyer’s possession, according to Huntington Beach Police Chief Robert Handy. [29] The UK's online child protection agency is appealing to children who may have fallen victim to an internet sex abuser to come forward.[30] Various social media writers and experts, like, Kristen Thompson warned parents to check their children’s smartphones, and to regulate the usage of Kik Messenger and other apps for their children’s safety.[31]

When asked about the risks and dangers of using Kik Messenger, Kik said usernames identified users, rather than personal information, such as mobile phone numbers and email addresses. Kik said users are also able to block "any and all contact" with another user, without revealing to the other user that they had been blocked, which "instantly terminated any undesired contact from another user". There is also an "ignore new user" feature, allowing users to hide messages they received from people they had never talked to before. Kik said it had policies in place to respond "in the best way possible" when something was reported by a user or police "Kik actively cooperates with law enforcement agencies all over the world, to ensure the safety of their users," it added.[32] But in spite of all of the above countermeasures, the crime rate against the children through Kik Messenger, due to its privacy, minimization of authority and somewhat difficult reporting options,[33] are increasing at an alarming rate.

In 2014 an advertising company reported that Kik has been “overrun by porn spammers”. [34] Pedophiles have used automated spam bots to distribute explicit images and text over Kik Messenger. [35] [36]


Features

  • Works on different mobile systems
  • Embedding images into messages
  • See if messages are sending, delivered, or read
  • Offline messaging
  • Customizable notification options
  • Sketch Content Message[37]
  • YouTube Content Messages
  • Image Search Content Messages
  • External API[38]
  • Group conversations of up to nine people

References

  1. ^ "How do I get the Kik app".
  2. ^ Eichelberg, Amy (2012-04-29). "Android App of the Day: Kik Messenger". The Unlockr. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  3. ^ "Is Kik Free?".
  4. ^ a b "About".
  5. ^ "Kik Messenger Gets off to a Good Start After October Relaunch". ThirdAge. 2010-11-04. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  6. ^ "KiK Messenger, free messages for Android, iPhone and BlackBerry". Dailyrumors.net. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  7. ^ Motorola il iDEN. "Kik Messenger app blows past 1 million users". Intomobile.com. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  8. ^ "RIM bloque une application concurrente A son service BlackBerry Messenger - ActualitAŠs Techno-AŠconomie - TAŠlAŠcoms et mobilitAŠ". Benefice-net.branchez-vous.com. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  9. ^ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/the-inside-story-of-why-blackberry-is-failing/article14563602/comments/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4146815-kik-eager-to-move-on-after-settling-spat-with-blackberry/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ Tech Crunch (7 March 2011). "Mobile Messaging Startup Kik Raises $8M; Launches Group Chat And Photo Sharing". TechChrunch. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  12. ^ "Canadian chat app Kik hits 50 million users". CTVnews.ca.
  13. ^ "Kik Raises $19.5M Series B, Bets On Its Cards Platform Play To Take On WhatsApp And Others". techcrunch.com.
  14. ^ http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/nbc33/news/Police-Issue-Warning-About-Child-Predators-Using-Kik-App-220665461.html
  15. ^ http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/12/02/kik-social-media-platform-draws-police-warning
  16. ^ http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/526633/20131202/kik-app-social-media.htm#.UzU5_2cvCMI
  17. ^ http://fox17online.com/2014/01/14/new-social-media-apps-pose-predator-dangers/#axzz2xFKS5Uqz
  18. ^ http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-23315397
  19. ^ http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/pedophiles-coercing-kids-using-phone-app-20130327- 2gu3a.html
  20. ^ http://www.smh.com.au/national/police-warning-on-social-media-messaging-app-kik-20131130-2yimo.html
  21. ^ http://www.smh.com.au/national/police-warning-on-social-media-messaging-app-kik-20131130-2yimo.html
  22. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/common-sense-media/11-sites-and-apps-kids-are-heading-to-after-facebook_b_3991614.html
  23. ^ http://www.smh.com.au/national/police-warning-on-social-media-messaging-app-kik-20131130-2yimo.html
  24. ^ http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/05/10/messaging-app-tied-to-crimes-against-kids/
  25. ^ http://www.wlox.com/story/24146731/live-5-investigates-predators-using-kik-messenger-to-lure-kids
  26. ^ http://www.unionleader.com/article/20121004/NEWS07/710049951
  27. ^ http://www.wlox.com/story/24146731/live-5-investigates-predators-using-kik-messenger-to-lure-kids
  28. ^ http://www.unionleader.com/article/20121004/NEWS07/710049951
  29. ^ http://ktla.com/2014/01/16/child-predator-may-have-100-victims-using-social-media
  30. ^ http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-16288784
  31. ^ http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765634022/Wake-up-and-smell-the-sexting-parents.html?pg=all
  32. ^ http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-23315397
  33. ^ https://kikinteractive.zendesk.com/entries/23518788-I-m-being-harassed-on-Kik-What-can-I-do-
  34. ^ http://adland.tv/adnews/kik-messenger-app-now-overrun-porn-spammers/82322445
  35. ^ http://globalnews.ca/news/1135647/students-parents-warned-about-explicit-spam-messages-on-kik-messenger/
  36. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/albertans-complain-kik-messenger-spam-bot-sending-sexual-messages-1.2561695
  37. ^ http://www.mobileburn.com/20949/news/kik-messenger-for-android-and-ios-adds-cards-so-members-can-share-videos-sketches-and-images. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  38. ^ http://kik.com/dev/home.php. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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