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ARTICLE · 01 JUNE 2015

Yik Yak: Anonymous Posting App Being Used For Cyber-Bullying

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
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Yik Yak is a free location-based mobile app that allows users to post short, text-only messages of up to 200 characters.

CanadaEmployment and HR

Introduction

Yik Yak is a free location-based mobile app that allows users to post short, text-only messages of up to 200 characters. Yik Yak functions much like Twitter, but is geographically bound to those within a 10 mile radius and is completely anonymous: there are no usernames, no logins, and no passwords. Posted messages – or "yaks" – can be viewed by up to 500 people located closest to the poster (or more than 500 people, with an in-app purchase).

Similar to the rating method used with Reddit, people can "upvote" or "downvote" other people's posts. On Yik Yak, posts with enough downvotes (-5) will disappear from the message board. Users can also use the 'peep' function to see what yaks are being posted on college campuses in the U.S. "Yak Backs" (comments on yaks) can also be up or downvoted, and "Yakarma" points can be earned by posting messages that are upvoted a lot or voting on other users' yaks.

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