fbpx

Monkey

Monkey Yee Monkey Monkoy App Review Header Image

 

updated 1/19/2021

In December 2020 we noticed that Yee is not available on the Apple App Store. However in Google Play, both the Monkey app and the Yee app are available. To confuse things even more, an app called Monkey Monkoy (with an icon almost identical to Monkey) that is the same sort of video chat with strangers app is available on the Apple App Store. As far as we know, these apps are not affiliated with one another. Bottom line: there are lots of risks in these types of apps (read below)!

Monkey/Yee/Monkey Monkoy App Review

Description: These types of apps allow kids to have fun chats with new people from all over the world. Users are randomly matched with other users for a brief, introductory video call. When matched with a new person, you can add more time or add the person on Snapchat to continue the connection.

According to the owners of the Monkey App, “We want to create the new hangout spot for Gen Z where genuine face-to-face conversations are being fostered, instead of chasing brief and shallow social exchanges like collecting likes on Instagram.”

Corporate website: https://monkey.cool/; https://yee.chat/; no website available for Monkey Monkoy

Category: social networking (useful for OpenDNS)

APP Store rating: 17+ on Google Play for Monkey and Yee; 12+ (but this is WAY too young – it should be 17+ or “adult only”) for Monkey Monkoy and the generic words used to describe the app in the App Store below aren’t accurate:

  • Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content and Nudity
  • Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor
  • Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes

What do parents need to know about Monkey/Yee/Monkey Monkoy?

For an app that caters to teens, there’s no age verification. We are more and more of the opinion that apps who cater to kids must have some sort of age verification in place in order to provide a safer environment for young users, but Monkey/Yee/Monkey Monkoy doesn’t have any of this.

Bullying and user safety are monitored. The app is trying to do the right things.  In fact, the Monkey app’s owners called us at Protect Young Eyes (which we appreciated) in order to make sure we clearly understood the extent of their efforts to keep their community safe. They claim to have 24/7 content moderation (https://monkey.cool/safety).

No real privacy. Teens who use the app will be sharing three types of information, including personal information (name, profile picture, date of birth), user contributed content (the photos, texts, videos, and screen shots shared with other users), and automatic information (browser, I.P. address). Each of these is covered in the App’s Privacy Statement and has different levels of protection.

In summary, Monkey does collect a lot of data about its users and shares all three types of information with third parties as needed. Teens need to remember that nothing is private and there’s always a risk that what is done is secret could be made public. This statement from their privacy statement summarizes this thinking:

Due to the inherent nature of the internet and related technology, we do not guarantee the protection of information under our control against loss, misuse, or alteration.

– Monkey Privacy Statement: https://monkey.cool/privacy

The app’s ecosystem (look and feel) resembles Snapchat, which makes it comfortable for kids to use.

Sexualized content is possible. The Monkey app’s owner explained in great detail the steps the app is taking to analyze and moderate potentially sexualized content in the app. They currently engage two image recognition companies to scan user content for anything inappropriate. This is a great step.

But, we’ve received emails from very concerned parents about what their children are being exposed to. One mom told us her daughter was contacted by a man who sent her a video of him masturbating to her videos. Another dad said, “Within 10 minutes of logging into this app my child was inundated with sexual requests, mostly by men of age 19 to 29. This is a very unsafe app for kids.”

There’s only so much that can be controlled.

Anonymity = good thing/bad thing. This is both a benefit and a detriment. The app’s creators want Monkey to be a place where kids who might benefit from finding a listening, non-judgmental ear is there for them (they shared a few comments from users who struggle with bullying who found solace in the app), but we just don’t believe that most teens have the wisdom to know how to navigate anonymous environments.


The bottom line: are the Monkey/Yee/Monkey Monkoy Apps safe?

Parents, we just don’t think teens need these types of apps. Although we appreciated the information shared by the Monkey app’s creators and the efforts they’re taking to protect kids, we can’t condone random conversations among teens. 


Now what? Have you heard of Bark?

Are you interested in having greater insight into the social media platforms that your kids are using? Bark is one of the best platforms we’ve tested. If your kid is using social media, then they need Bark. We trust them and we think you should, too!

Bark Parental Controls
[Click here or the logo above to learn more – free to begin!]

*There may be affiliate links throughout this post because we’ve tested and trust a small list of parental control solutions. Our work saves you time! If you decide that you agree with us, then we may earn a small commission, which does nothing to your price. Enjoy! NEW Protect Young Eyes Logo (2020)

 

Scroll to Top
325 Shares
Share311
Tweet
Pin14
Share