The owners of controversial social media site Ask.fm have admitted that they considered closing down the service after it was linked to a number of teen suicides. The service was criticized by world leaders, campaigners and bereaved families and was the subject of further controversy when Islamic State recruitment tips were posted on the platform.
Just when it looked like the service’s days were numbered, it was acquired by the search company Ask.com – itself owned by IAC – in August 2014. Now, Ask.com boss Doug Leeds says he considered shutting the service down shortly after purchasing it, saying: “We did look at shutting it down and we thought about it significantly as an option.”
However, the boss says that the company later decided to work on changing the company’s reputation. Leeds said: “We came to the conclusion that there’s a good business here as long as you make the service safer.” The company’s boss says that its motto is now “anonymity with responsibility”, whilst saying that the abuse of anonymity to cause harm won’t be tolerated.
Software has been designed to flag questions and answers featuring potentially-worrying phrases and words. A new mobile version of the previously-unmoderated service is to be launched. Guidelines were released for kids’ use of social media in 2013.
