What it is
Skout is a location-based app for meeting people. It has a public history of safety failures, including cases in which adults met underage users. You do not need the history to make the decision. A child does not need an app for meeting nearby strangers.
Remove it and find out whether a meeting has already been suggested.
What to look out for
- People shown as metres or miles away.
- Travel plans or "I can pick you up".
- A profile that understates their age.
- Gifts or money offered before a meeting.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Skout. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Remove the app. If a young child uses the device, keep the app-store password yourself so it cannot be quietly reinstalled.
- Do not message anyone on the account, and do not pretend to be your child.
- If an adult has asked for photos, offered money, or tried to meet, contact the police and a child-protection report line. The help page lists them.
- Write down usernames you can see. Do not delete the conversation if police may need to see it, and do not copy or forward sexual images.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Dating apps told to stop under-18s after child abuse cases linked to Grindr This i Paper report names Grindr and Tinder. This app is the same kind of adult dating product. It stays off a child’s device.
- Overhaul algorithms and age checks or face fines, tech firms told Ofcom’s children’s code says sites with pornography or harmful content must use stronger age checks. The i Paper report is the one that names dating apps.
A way to start the conversation
You can say: "This app is built for adults. I am not angry that I found it. I need it off the phone, and I need to know if anyone has asked you for photos, money, or a meeting."
Then stop and listen. If the answer is yes, go to the help page rather than trying to investigate the other person yourself.
Video
Skout parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.