The developers of the online social media app Yik Yak have implemented new methods to stop cyber bullying.
The move by the makers was in response to the criticisms about how the app can be used by some people to offend and threaten others.
Yik Yak, which was officially launched in 2013, allows users to anonymously interact with other people through online messages. To enhance the relevance of the app's messaging feature, users can only see posts made by others within a ten-mile radius.
Due to the anonymous feature of the app, some organizations feared that it can be used as a means to cyber bully someone.
To prevent this, the makers of Yik Yak said they have improved the settings of the app to prevent online harassment. For one, the developers gave the app a 17+ rating in the Apple Store to deter minors from using the app.
In addition, the app cannot be used by students in middle schools or high schools. Although this greatly affected the user base of Yik Yak, the app developers said the restriction can significantly help in eliminating cyber bullying cases.
"If you try to use the app at a high school or middle school, a message will pop up saying that sending or receiving messages is disabled," Cam Mullen, the community developer at Yik Yak told Fox News.
"For us to cut out high schoolers and middle schoolers who can be active users on Yik Yak and increase our user numbers was something we decided to do to sacrifice short-term growth at that time because we thought it was the right thing to do," Mullen added. "We really are focused on the community and that people are using the app in the right way."
Aside from the age restrictions, the developers included a filter system that detects any form offensive language or threats in the messages.
Once an inappropriate word or phrase has been detected, the user will be warned by the app before posting the message.
