13+
Minimum age according to Skype
This is Skype’s minimum age. What do you think is the right age for this site?Share your thoughts
Skype is a computer programme and app, which lets you make audio and video calls to other users around the world. You can also send instant messages.
What do I need to know about Skype?
We've spoken to parents to find out what they think about Skype. We've also asked children and young people what they think. Here's what they said:
What do children and young people say to look out for:
20% of the children and young people who reviewed Skype thought that it can be risky. The main reasons they gave us were:
Why young people like it:
The main things that young people told us they liked about this site were:
We asked parents whether they were asked to verify their phone number or email address to sign up to this site. We also asked them how easy or difficult it would be for a child to pretend to be older to sign up.
We asked parents how easy it was to find out how to report unsuitable content, to find out if the site is moderated, to block other users and to hide or report an unwanted message or picture.
Parents say:
Young people say:
More information:
Read Skype’s information on reporting and blocking here.
We asked parents how easy it was to find information about privacy and to change the settings to ensure the account is private.
Parents say:
Young people say:
More information:
Visit Skype’s privacy page here.
We asked parents how easy it was to find out whether this site has rules or community standards, to find safety information for children and parents, and to find links to support services.
Parents say:
More information:
Read Skype’s information on keeping children safe online here.
Boy, 13
“You can talk to anyone with a computer any time any place, great for talking to relatives far away."
Boy, 13
“I like that you call/ make big groups with your friends and speak to them wherever they are. They should have a word blocker so a system scans it, and when you block someone you shouldn't see their messages even if you’re in the same group.”
Boy, 11
“You can call your friends, video or normal call and send messages to each other.”
Father
“I think it is essential that parents explain to their children both where to go to if they see something inappropriate as well as to tell their parent.” - Father of children aged 9 and 14
Mother
“Being able to do video calls obviously carries risks regarding safeguarding of children and young people. As there would appear to be very little security checking when setting up a Skype account, I would be concerned that children's online safety could be compromised.” - Mother of children aged 15
Father
“Cost effective way of allowing children to keep in touch with family/friends especially distant contacts. If the time is taken up front to brief the child and set-up the appropriate controls then Skype works perfectly well.” - Father of children aged 13 and 16
x
x
Skype
"Skype is for doing things together, whenever you’re apart. Skype’s text, voice and video make it simple to share experiences with the people that matter to you, wherever they are."
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O2 Guru Matthew says:
“Skype makes it simple to block a contact from messaging or calling you. Just tap on the contact's name which gives you a menu where you can block the contact.”
Our O2 NSPCC Online Safety Helpline can help you to set up parental controls, adjust privacy settings or get advice on social networks. Call them for free on 0808 800 5002.
You can also book a free in-store appointment with an O2 online safety guru here.
13+
Skype says
This is taken from Skype’s own guidelines and is accurate as of March 2017.
14+
Our panel of parents say
Based on our independent panel of nearly 700 parents, surveyed through YouGov in January 2017.
11+
Children say
Based on 1,696 responses from children and young people in December 2016 and January 2017.
10+
Net Aware visitors say
Based on 757 votes from visitors to the Net Aware site – you can vote too.
We asked young people and parents to tell us about the content they came across on Skype. Here are the types of inappropriate content that they reported:
Sexual
Violence and hatred
Bullying
Suicide and self-harm
Other
13% of parents reported seeing violence and hatred on Skype.
16% of young people reported seeing either violence and hatred or sexual content on Skype.
Mother
“I would advise them to ensure that only the people that the child knows can access their account to minimise the risk of bullying.” – Mother of two
Father
“I only use it with family. I didn't realise it was an open community and could expose kids to inappropriate content. This is a bit worrying as the controls are not easy to find at all.” – Father of two
Father
“I had soft porn user names trying to befriend me via my Skype account.” - Father of boys aged 6 and 16
Girl, 14
“I don’t like the adverts and the random people that want to add you.”
Boy, 14
“Some people take advantage of their so-called "anonymity" and use it to harass people.”
Boy, 11
“Anyone can request to be your friend and you can't turn your account private.”
We know it can be awkward but no amount of information beats talking to your children about their experiences online.
I know you love going online, which bits do you like best?Other relevant resources:
Omegle
Omegle is a social networking site that randomly connects you to another person who’s on the site. It lets you talk to others in a one-to-one audio or video conversation anonymously, or you can choose to share your personal information.
ooVoo
ooVoo lets you make video and voice calls and send texts to other people, friends and family.
FaceTime
FaceTime allows you to make video and audio calls from your Apple devices using the internet.
BBM
Blackberry's BBM is an instant messaging app. You have your own unique 4 digit pin and other people can only add you using this.
Tango
Tango is an app which allows you meet new people, make voice and video calls, have group chats and share content with other users.See all
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We may use this information to tailor messages, or to send you information which may be helpful to you. We will keep this information confidential, but you do not need to provide a response if you’re not comfortable. If you wish to change the way that we contact you in the future please contact our Supporter Care team on 020 7825 2505 or email us at supportercare@nspcc.org.uk. We will never pass on your details to any other organisations to use for their own purposes and you can find out about how we use and look after your data at nspcc.org.uk/privacy-policy.
