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:
- Random people adding them or calling them
- Adverts
Why young people like it:
The main things that young people told us they liked about this site were:
- Being able to talk to people, especially those who are far away
- Being able to video chat
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:
- “There was no easily found search feature. I eventually found out how to look for the help I wanted. But then, the search feature did not tell me how to report unwanted images. I accidentally found out but looking for other help.” - Mother of girls aged 11 and 13
Young people say:
- 33% of young people who reviewed Skype said they know how to report on this site.
- 38% said they know how to block someone.
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:
- “It should be possible to set your desired privacy setting on signing up for an account. I am not happy that, despite setting my Skype privacy to contacts only, I still receive messages from random strangers.” - Mother of children aged 8 and 15
- “It is difficult to find controls. Didn't realise it needed adult approval.” - Father of children aged 12 and 15
Young people say:
- 37% of young people who reviewed Skype said they know how to change their privacy settings on this site.
- 25% said they know how to turn off their location settings.
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:
- “On the android app I am using I could not find this information even when looking for it!” – Father
- “I've just been back on for another look. Even under 'more' as a footnote to options, there's nothing obvious about safety and nothing about parental controls.” - Mother of children aged 15 and 18
- “The security on Skype is very poor. Neither the app nor the website allows for easy access to maintain ones privacy.” - Mother of children aged 8 and 15
More information:
Read Skype’s information on keeping children safe online here.