App for website launched amid fears of cyber bullying

A website linked to cyberbullying and teen suicides is now one of the world’s most popular social networks after its newly released app became a huge hit.

The site, ask.fm, was relatively unknown until last year when two schoolgirls — Ciara Pugsley, 15, from Leitrim and Erin Gallagher, 13, from Donegal — took their own lives after being subjected to anonymous bullying on the site.

Despite a backlash from parents and internet safety experts in the wake of the tragedies, the website’s popularity has soared.

And experts have warned that young people have easier access to the site on their mobiles — making it extremely difficult to monitor.

Last week, the ask.fm iPhone app — launched worldwide in June — ranked eighth in the most popular free downloads on Apple’s app store. This put it ahead of Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

On Google Play, the Android app store, it has had over 1m downloads.

In June, ask.fm announced it now had 60m registered users — up from the 5m it claimed last year.

In recent months, the website has sought more staff, moved to new offices in Riga, Latvia, and has hired PR consultants while recent media reports in several countries, including Ireland, have all warned parents about the website.

Simon Grehan, internet safety officer with webwise.ie, an online advice resource for teachers and parents, recommends that young people avoid the website and says he is surprised by ask.fm’s continued growth given its poor safety track record.

Grehan said there have been recent improvements to ask.fm from a safety point of view, specifically on reporting abusive content, but he said it could still not be considered a safe website for young people.

A statement from ask.fm said the site has safety features and policies which allow users to “protect themselves” and seek help when required.

“For example, all users can switch off anonymous questions in their privacy settings; and if they do receive a question that they don’t like or find offensive, they can block the user and decide to report the incident,” it read.

“All reports are read by our team of moderators to ensure that genuine concerns are heard and acted upon immediately.”