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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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Court summons ex-AGM of People’s bank over major fraud

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The Attorney General has filed a case against one Vithanage Don Dayananda, a former Assistant General Manager (AGM) at People’s Bank head office, for allegedly preparing and using a forged document related to a Rs.2,000 million personal guarantee bond.

Colombo High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne has fixed the case (HC 39/2019) for trial on October 30. When the case was called on July 01, the accused had appeared in court.

It is alleged that around June 01, 2006, in Colombo, the accused knowingly prepared a forged document purporting to show that a personal guarantee bond, allegedly signed and dated July 27, 1995, by directors of Yashoda Holdings (Pvt) Ltd.had been submitted to the bank’s head office. 

Despite being well aware that the document was a forged one, he had allegedly presented it as genuine evidence during the Commercial High Court Case No. 122/2004.

Therefore, the Attorney General has charged him under Section 459 of the Penal Code.

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2nd round of Grade 06 admission appeals open online today

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The Ministry of Education has announced that online appeals for the second round of Grade 06 admissions in 2025, based on the 2024 Grade 05 Scholarship Examination results, can be submitted from today (July 03) until July 17.

Parents or guardians can submit appeals for up to three schools by visiting the official website of the Ministry of Education at www.moe.gov.lk or directly via the extension at g6application.moe.gov.lk.

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Several showers expected today

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Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Galle and Matara districts today (July 03), the Department of Meteorology said.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.

Meanwhile, fairly strong winds of about 30-40 kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee and Hambantota districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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