Finally, in 2023, the site officially shut down. Here's a quick news article about it, and the according lawsuit (contains slightly graphic images). Omegle caused so much harm. We are glad it's gone! However, Monkey, seems to be reviving this genre of random video chats. See our app review here.

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What is Omegle?

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Description: Omegle is an online chat website that allows users to communicate with others without the need to register. The service randomly pairs users in one-on-one chat or video sessions. There’s an app that uses the yellow logo (which seems to be changing every week) and also a browser-based version of Omegle at www.omegle.com.

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What do parents need to know about Omegle? 

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There’s tons of live nudity. The ability to be paired up with anyone, anywhere in the world should throw up tons of red flags for parents. Even the creators of Omegle warn that anyone under 18 using the app should be monitored by parents. The iPhone version of the app works like this:

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At Omegle.com through a browser, users are given the opportunity to participate in an “unmoderated video” chat, an “adult video” chat, a “monitored video” chat, or a “text” chat. A warning box appears if you click the “unmoderated” or “adult” links, making sure the user is at least 18 and is aware that sexual material is coming. And, beware, because it is absolutely true.

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Immediately upon joining one of the “unmoderated” or “adult” video chats, the user is confronted with live nudity from random webcams. Even in the “monitored” video chats, you will occasionally run into a simulated webcam where someone has inserted a still image of a naked woman, or there are guys who are disgustingly pleasuring themselves on a webcam just waiting to have a video chat.

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But, you can block the web version of Omegle by changing the DNS on your router. The DNS IP addresses shared in this blog post (How to Block Porn on Any Device. For Free.) will block the website.

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It’s an app that literally just pairs you up with strangers. “Text” chats are exactly what they say. A conversation with a random individual.

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What often happens is someone will start a chat and offer their KiK username (or other social media sites) where the conversation continues with all of Kik’s features. We have tested this site through a browser, posing as different people of different ages, and the level of depravity is shocking. When there is anonymity, anything goes.

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Bottom Line – was Omegle Safe for Kids?

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There’s absolutely nothing good about Omegle, which is why it was shut down. Parents should take extreme caution when deciding if their kids should use similar apps offering video chats with strangers, such as Monkey.

What if I have more questions? How can I stay up to date?

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Two actions you can take!

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1. Subscribe to our tech trends newsletter, the PYE Download. About every 3 weeks, we’ll share what’s new, what the PYE team is up to, and a message from Chris.
2. Ask your questions in our private parent community called The Table! It’s not another Facebook group. No ads, no algorithms, no asterisks. Just honest, critical conversations and deep learning! For parents who want to “go slow” together. Become a member today!

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