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New SelfieStop app blocks kids from taking nude selfies

By Karen Farris, Op-ed contributor Tuesday, October 01, 2019

Staying one step ahead of tech-savvy youth, as well as perverted child abusers is an ongoing effort. A recently released app called SelfieStop instantly deletes naked selfies on a child’s phone—before it can be sent.

In an online world where kids can be pressured to send nude pictures, and kids can unwittingly receive them, this new app is probably worth the annual subscription cost of $20.00 for two devices. Most nudity-detection apps only work after the image has been received. That’s a little too late. None of us can unsee an image. That’s why SelfieStop is so effective. The algorithm of the program can detect nudity as soon as a child tries to take a picture or video. It deletes it in milliseconds—and the picture is not processed.

In the slimy world of sexual predators, young kids are often manipulated through money, threats, and deception to send pictures that are then used in child pornography. It’s truly sextortion. The reality is that even in the safety of a child’s home he/she can be victimized. With more children having smartphones—used for gaming, communicating with friends, and doing homework, it’s vital that parents and caregivers have the technology that protects them from harm.

Technology is our friend, until it literally strips children of their innocence. This is a battle between technology being used for evil and technology that can protect us all.

SelfieStop is available to download on Apple and Google online stores.

Karen Farris served in the crisis pregnancy ministry — traveling thousands of miles and speaking to over 10,000 students about their life choices — for nearly a dozen years. She became a grant writer and helps find resources for projects that serve those in poverty, mainly children. She's been a blogger since 2010 — Friday Tidings — sharing stories of faith, life, and purpose to give hope in a hurting world.