Pennsylvania police warning parents about these 15 smartphone apps

ByChristie Ileto WPVI logo
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Bensalem police warning parents about these 15 smartphone apps
Bensalem police warning parents about these 15 smartphone apps. Christie Ileto has more on Action News at 10 p.m. on August 13, 2019.

BENSALEM, Pa. -- As kids head back to school, Pennsylvania police are reminding parents to monitor their child's social media activity--particularly with these apps.

They compiled a list of 15 apps parents should know about: MeetMe, Grindr, Skout, WhatsApp, Tiktok, Badoo, Bumble, Snapchat, Kik, Live.me, Holla, Whisper, Ask.fm, Calculator and Hot or Not.

Police say apps like Kik, Whisper, and Skout are red flags for minors to have on their phones.

The app Calculator acts like its name, but can hide photos, phone numbers and other things minors don't want their parents to see.

"We're dealing with a lot of criminal investigations where we see a lot of these apps pop up," said Lt. Jim Donnelly.

"Maybe go into your kids' cell phone, talk to them about the dangers of it, see who they're talking to, who their friends are," added Donnelly.

Mom's like Stephanie Gonzalez Ferrandez says the only apps on her daughter's phone were approved by her.

"It's very simple. You put a password on but they can't buy apps on it unless you approve it," she said.

Credit: Bensalem Police Department