YUBO

Created in 2015 by TWELVE APP located in France, Yubo is a live social discovery platform targeted towards Gen Z users. Yubo began as a companion app to Snapchat: It focused on helping users find friends through shared interests and live streams. Yubo slowly developed its own identity: It diversified features, including video chat and community challenges, moving away from solely relying on Snapchat for friend suggestions.

Born in 2015 as "Yellow," Yubo morphed into the live social discovery app it is today, boasting over 60 million users. Primarily aimed at Gen Z, it focuses on forging friendships rather than romantic connections.

Users, after verifying their age (They do this by making users take a selfie on signup and it appears they use some algorithm or internal software to determine age based off of the picture), swipe through profiles and live streams, connecting with those who pique their interest. Its key features include group video calls, shared games, and location-based discovery for finding nearby friends.

While Yubo emphasizes safe spaces, data collection concerns lurk beneath the surface. Location data, profile information, and chat logs are gathered, albeit encrypted at rest. Additionally, users can spend virtual currency ("YuBucks") on features like boosting their profiles, raising potential privacy concerns as spending habits could be used for targeted advertising.

Yubo's usage is multifaceted. Some teens genuinely seek platonic connections, while others use it for light flirting or harmless fun. Concerns arise, however, around potential cyberbullying, inappropriate content filtering, and the blurring lines between friendship and dating. Parents and authorities alike need to stay informed about Yubo's evolving features and potential pitfalls to ensure safe teen online experiences.

Search Warrants and Cybertips

Profile Info

Yubo provides profile pictures, platform (ios/ android), phone number (if added), email (non-verified), Country, Provided Birthdate, geo location of creation and geo location of last logon, created dates and times, and last updates. It also provides the “soft proof” photograph used to create the account.

Messages:

Yubo provides a comprehensive list of messages as well as dates and times of the messages and who the recipients and senders are.

Comments

Yubo will provide a list of comments made to posts

IP Addresses

Yubo will provide a list of IP addresses utilized by the account holder.

Friend List

Yubo will provide a list of “Friends” associated with the account holder included listed ages of those friends.

Requests to obtain Yubo user data must:

-be made to Twelve App SAS

-be made in writing, on law enforcement letterhead and signed by the law enforcement officer responsible for the investigation

-be submitted by letter and email to the addresses provided below

-specify the legal basis upon which the request is made

-identify a specific Yubo user / users (entire files cannot be accessed)

-inform us of the categories of data required and their relevance to the investigation

-provide a valid official email address for communication

-be occasional and not be broad or vague in nature

Twelve App will only respond to requests that comply with the above process.

Get in touch

admin@inv-network.org

About Us

Inv-Network was created to support those who are tasked with the difficult job of protecting children from online child exploitation. Our goal is to provide community, resources, and training to Law Enforcement, District Attorney's, and Parole & Probation Officers.