Thursday saw the closure of the well-known social media platform Omegle, which had been using the Internet for years to bring people together.
14 years after its launch in 2009, the video chat website that allowed users to meet new people from all around the world closed.
The news was made on Thursday by Chief Executive Officer Leif K-Brooks, who said that the “battle” to keep the service afloat “has been lost.”
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In the announcement, which included a picture of a gravestone with the word “Omegle” written on it, K-Brooks emphasized that the service had achieved a number of noteworthy milestones over the years, chief among them being the creation of strong global relationships.
He did, however, add note that some users of the website “committed unspeakably heinous crimes.”
Part of the statement said, “People have used Omegle to help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, to learn about other cultures, and to get advice about their lives from unbiased third parties over the years.” I’ve even heard tales of marriages between soulmates who met on Omegle. That’s just a handful of the highlights.
Sadly, there are drawbacks as well. Because of their inherent versatility, almost all tools can be used for good or evil. This is particularly true with communication technologies. Not only can you wish your grandmother a happy birthday on the phone, but you can also use it to report a bomb threat. Omegle cannot be fairly described without admitting that some users abused it, sometimes even using it to conduct horrible crimes.
“Omegle’s moderation even produced beneficial effects off the platform. Omegle assisted in getting evildoers behind bars, where they belong, by collaborating with law enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Omegle diligently gathered evidence against these “people,” who are already rotting behind prison.