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Popular video chat website ‘Omegle’ shut after abuse claims

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Popular live video chat website Omegle is shutting down after 14 years following user claims of abuse.

The service, which allowed users to socialise with random strangers online, grew in popularity with children and young people during the pandemic.

Omegle’s closure announcement included an image of its logo on a gravestone.

Founder Leif K Brooks said in a statement that operating the website was “no longer sustainable, financially nor psychologically”.

The decision comes as social media platforms are facing increased scrutiny from regulators around the world.

Just this week, Ofcom issued its first guidance for tech platforms complying with the UK Online Safety Act and the communications regulator singled out online grooming.

Omegle has been the subject of controversy, including in a landmark case where a young American accused the platform of randomly pairing her with a paedophile.

The account user was a minor when the incident took place and the lawsuit against Omegle was filed 10 years later in November 2021.

Omegle’s legal team argued in court that the website was not to blame for what happened, and denied that it was a haven for predators.

On Thursday, Mr Brooks said “There can be no honest accounting of Omegle without acknowledging that some people misused it, including to commit unspeakably heinous crimes.”

However, he also pointed, without giving specific details, to the “constant barrage of attacks on communication services” like Omegle by “a malicious subset of users”.

“As much as I wish circumstances were different, the stress and expense of this fight – coupled with the existing stress and expense of operating Omegle, and fighting its misuse – are simply too much,” Mr Brooks said.

“Frankly, I don’t want to have a heart attack in my 30s,” he added.

The announcement also drew comments from users on social media who shared their favourite memories of Omegle. Their reactions ranged from surprise to nostalgia.

The BBC found that Omegle has been mentioned in more than 50 cases against paedophiles in countries including the UK, US and Australia.

Video-sharing platform TikTok banned sharing links to Omegle, after a BBC investigation in 2021 found what appeared to be children exposing themselves to strangers on the website.

Imagery of young children carrying out sexual acts on camera has risen by more than tenfold since the pandemic lockdowns, according to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).

In 2022, the IWF logged more than 63,000 webpages showing the material compared to 5,000 before the pandemic.


Source: BBC

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Nishantha Wickremesinghe remanded (Update)

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Former Chairman of SriLankan Airlines Nishantha Wickremesinghe has been  remanded until July 01.

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(Previous News : June 27, 2025 4.41pm)

2 ex-heads of govt. institutions, arrested

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has arrested two former Chairmen on corruption charges.

Former Chairman of the Fisheries Corporation – Upali Liyanage and former SriLankan Airlines Chairman – Nishantha Wickremesinghe have been arrested in this manner.

However, Liyanage, who was produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali Jayathunga, was released on three sureties amounting to Rs. 5 million.

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Body of undergrad who went missing at Port City beach, found (Update)

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The body of the undergraduate who had gone missing at the Port City beach, has been found.

The body was found during a search by divers.


(Previous News on 27th June 2025 at 10.06 am)

Undergrad goes missing at Port City beach while snorkeling

A 24-year-old university student from Asgiriya, Gampaha, has gone missing yesterday morning (June 26) while swimming in the sea off the Colombo Port City beach.

According to the police, the student, a resident of Gampaha, was part of a group of students from the Universities of Colombo and Moratuwa who had visited the artificial beach and engaged in snorkelling.

The student failed to resurface, prompting a complaint to the Colombo Port Police.

Lifeguards later recovered the snorkeling gear believed to be belonging to the missing student.

A joint search operation involving Navy divers from the Colombo Port and Rangala Navy Division is currently underway. Further investigations are underway by the Colombo Port Police.

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Missing NPP members of Weligama PS, resurface (Update)

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The 2 NPP members of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha, who had gone missing earlier today (June 27), have been found at the Unawatuna beach in Galle.

According to police, they are unharmed.


(Previous News on 27th June 2025 at 12:15 pm)

2 NPP members at Weligama PS go missing (Video)

Tensions erupted at the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha today (June 27) after 02 National Peoples’ Power (NPP) members were reportedly abducted.

The incident had occurred just before a scheduled vote to elect a new chairman.

The members, who were en route to attend the session, have reportedly gone missing, prompting the suspension of proceedings.

It has been proposed to proceed the council session if the missing members arrive.

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