Omegle: Children expose themselves on video chat site

A BBC investigation has found what appears to be children exposing themselves to strangers on live video chat website Omegle.

The site claims to be moderated and has exploded in global popularity during the pandemic with millions of visitors a day - particularly in the US, India, Mexico and the UK.

It has become a TikTok trend, frequently visited by children, and international protection groups are increasingly concerned predators are using Omegle to gather so called "self-generated" abuse material.

The founder of the website, Leif K-Brooks, told the BBC that his site had increased moderation efforts in recent months.

TikTok says it has now banned sharing links to Omegle, and its safety teams have not found any harmful Omegle content on its platform.

Report by Joe Tidy and Woody Morris.

Parents, children and young people can get advice on managing their online lives at BBC Own It.

18 February 2021