Let's get Ask.fm to introduce Restrictions or Shut Down

August 2013: Another suicide of a bullied girl on ASK.FM

The death of a 14-year-old girl who killed herself after being abused online has been described as a “true tragedy” by the website on which she was bullied. Hannah Smith died on Friday in Lutterworth in Leicestershire after being “cyber-bullied” on the question-and-answer website Ask.fm.

Is your child using the sinister website that pits friend against friend? Last month a 12-year-old girl killed herself after being hounded on it. No wonder mothers want it banned.

Schools across the country are sending out letters advising pupils not to use Ask.fm. The site lets anyone see details of boys and girls as young as 10, then post comments or questions. There is no way to report offensive comments. The site has become linked to a number of recent teen suicides (6). Many of you may have heard about the website Ask.fm. Your child or grandchild is probably using it right NOW. Well it is time you knew what it involves and the very real dangers it poses!

The concept is simple: you sign up and then people can ask, or you can ask people, any question anonymously. The website is similar to Twitter where users can follow each other. However, unlike Twitter, a user can never find out who is following them and can only know the overall number of followers he/she has. This may sound like a fun idea but there have been increasing reports of cyber bullying and issues surrounding grooming of young people, self-harm and suicide on the site. There is no age limit to who can sign up, so any young person is able to have an account. The website lets anyone see the names, photographs and personal details of boys and girls as young as 10, then post comments or questions on their profile pages that range from insults to sexual advances and threats of violence.

Pupils and parents are being warned by head teachers about the dangers of a rapidly growing social networking site that puts teenagers at risk of vicious anonymous abuse. Schools across the country are sending out letters advising pupils not to use Ask.fm, which has more than 40 million users around the world and is a haven for bullies and linked to at least 6 suicides.

The website lets anyone see the names, photographs and personal details of boys and girls as young as 10, then post comments or questions on their profile pages that range from insults to sexual advances and threats of violence. Unlike other services such as Facebook and Twitter, there is no way to report offensive comments, increase privacy settings or find out who is behind anonymous bullying.

The website is based in Latvia, making it even more difficult for police to take action, while its owners dismiss any problems with the site as the result of British and Irish children being more cruel than those from other countries. Ask.fm has become associated with some of the worst forms of cyberbullying and has been linked to a number of recent teen suicides in Ireland and the US. ‘It is almost a stalker’s paradise. In cases like this young people need protection from those who exploit internet anonymity to intimidate, isolate and bully.’ Richard Piggin, deputy chief executive of the charity BeatBullying, said: ‘The tool that enables it to be anonymous can facilitate young people to say things that they might not say face to face or if their names were attached to it. So it releases their inhibitions, which can be very dangerous.

‘Sites like Ask.fm lack even the most basic child safety mechanisms or reporting protocols. They are of huge concern to us and the young people we work with.’ Founder Mark Terebin said: ‘We only have this situation in Ireland and the UK most of all. It seems that children are more cruel in these countries.’

Suicides linked to ASK.FM

August 2013: Another suicide of a bullied girl on ASK.FM
June 2013: Teenage girl died following ‘hateful’ comments on Ask.fm
May 2013: Queens girl, 12, commits suicide after alleged ASK.FM cyberbullying
October 2012: Third suicide in weeks linked to cyberbullying
September 2012: ‘Sorry to hear you tried to kill urself… next time finish it’: One young woman’s harrowing account of how cyber-bullies pushed her to breaking point
April 2013: Family call for Ask.fm to be ‘shut down’ – After teenage boy hangs himself