Yik Yak is an anonymous college application that rose to prominence years ago but ceased to exist due to its low userbase and poor performance. However, it relaunched last year to bring what it aims to give to the young generation by providing updates and being a channel for all things about their college.
Reports now claim that instead of keeping a user anonymous, it reveals their GPS coordinates and location to the public.
Yik Yak: Anonymous App Now Reportedly Leaking GPS Information
YikYak is an anonymous app that promises to keep one's identity safe, but not for all, as it offers others to claim a username that they may use inside the app. However, that is not all which exposes users and their identities in the app, as a report from Vice's Motherboard, the social media app reveals users' precise GPS location.
It means that it may choose a particular post that they do not precisely agree with and use its GPS to track the OP (the original poster).
Users with the location of the people that posted on Yik Yak may face harassment or threats to their life for their tweets. Imagine if they only borrowed a device or a friend's Yik Yak for that post.
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Your Identity and Data is Not Safe on Yik Yak, Says Insider
David Teather of The Response Times claimed that he could access the location of specific posts while on Yik Yak, and the location is accurate from 10 to 15 feet from the user's GPS. The only action made by the Yik Yak team is to remove the usernames and handles from the platform, but Teather said that it is not enough to protect one's privacy.
Yik Yak and the Anonymous Feature for All
Back in 2014, an upcoming social media platform brought its app for the public to experience, and it mainly borders on the college students that will use its platform to obtain updates on school and many more. However, the company did not get a break from its release, and the company stopped its operations in the past.
One of the critical features of Yik Yak is to provide school updates for college students and those familiar with the app anonymously, and it is what the company focuses on for everyone. Everyone using the application gets protection from the veil of anonymity, and it worked for the company and its goal to provide social media for all.
The company then decided to bring "Handles" to those that wanted a username on its platform, which also defeated its purpose of being fully anonymous.
Nevertheless, despite its many hardships in the past, it returned last year to bring many of its features back for the students and the current generation to enjoy on its platform. However, a massive issue that puts it in a bad light came to the surface recently, and it is a reason for the public to stay away from it, as it might expose them.
Related Article: Yik Yak Social Media App Returns After 4 Year Hiatus, But What Exactly Is It?
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isaiah Richard
