Omegle Bids Goodbye: Founder Shuts Down Site Permanently
Popular online chat website Omegle has been shut after 14 years. The website which has gained immense popularity which allowed people to chat anonymously online was shut down by its founder Leif K Brooks citing financial and psychological stress.
The website which gave the users to chat, talk and interact with strangers was founded in 2009. The online chat platform could be used by any user without registration and this might have been one of its reasons for the popularity.
The platform also allows the users to quickly move on from one conversation to another giving a chance to meet new people.
However, the platforms have recently been widely used for online abuse and grooming. And thus, K-Brooks cited it as one of the reasons to shut the website down stating that the platform had become a target of attacks and the company could no longer afford to fight the misuse of its service.
K-Brook but mentioned in the statement released that the platform was also able to produce positive impact on the users helping the people to connect with people of different cultures, seek advice, and alleviate loneliness. He then expressed his gratitude to the users who responsibly used the platform.
“Over the years, people have used Omegle to explore foreign cultures; to get advice about their lives from impartial third parties; and to help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation. I”ve even heard stories of soulmates meeting on Omegle, and getting married. Those are only some of the highlights,” he added.
The hashtag #RIPOmegle is now trending on X with users reminiscing about their time on the platform.
A user wrote, “I started using Omegle back in 2013 to get chatzy links for glee roleplay. Nowadays, I use it to roleplay Wolfstar, Jegulus, Hotwings, BkDk, Destiel, Gentlebeard, Ineffable Husband and OC Omegaverse. My heart is broken #RIPOmegle.”
I started using Omegle back in 2013 to get chatzy links for glee roleplay. Now a days I use it to roleplay Wolfstar, Jegulus, Hotwings, BkDk, Destiel, Gentlebeard, Ineffable husband and OC Omegaverse. My heart is broken 💔 #RipOmegle pic.twitter.com/IKWAxjjKvC
— bluexhibiscus (@bluexhibiscus) November 9, 2023
The shutting down of Omegle will mark the end of an era in the virtual world.
