Parents can police teen selfies

Parents can now police their children's smartphones

Niamh Horan

A new app which protects children and teenagers from the dangers of sexting and nude selfies has been launched.

SelfieCop works by emailing parents a copy of every photo or video taken on their child’s smartphone or tablet.

It includes photos and videos captured by popular social networking apps including SnapChat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Promoters of the new technology hope it will prevent children from engaging in unsuitable correspondence by asking them if they are really happy with their parents being able to see the information they are exchanging with friends.

The app is available for all Google,  Android smartphones and tablets at €2.99 and an iPhone and iPad version is due to come out in the coming weeks.

Once the app is installed, the parent will be emailed a copy of every photo or video taken on the child’s device.

However, the developers behind the security app have given a stark warning that all parents and guardians must inform their children before installing the app and make sure it is clear that SelfieCop is installed in their phone.

With 80pc of teens now owning and operating their own smartphone, a spokesperson for the company said: “The aim is not to spy on them, but to teach them to stay safe.”

Research by the iReach Group found that while 80pc of parents are concerned about what their children may access online, just 40pc have active house rules to counteract those threats.

The same research indicates 46pc of Irish children regularly take and post “selfies” online.