Wizz Has Been Dubbed 'Tinder for Kids'; What Is It, and Is Your Child at Risk?

The rapid rise of Wizz, an app promoted as a safe place for teens to meet new friends, has triggered national concern as reports link it to adult predators and risky encounters among young users. But what is it, and how do we know who's at risk?

Wizz is an app that is available to anyone aged 13 and older, and its format encourages users to swipe through profiles in a manner similar to a dating app. Its layout, which includes photos and short bios, resembles conventional platforms that match strangers through appearance and brief interests. Teens in New York City told The Post that the app is often used for contact with new people, including in-person meet-ups.

One 16-year-old student described it as 'like Tinder for kids', noting that messages arrive rapidly once an account is created. She said she received around 60 notifications on her first day, with some messages staying within friendly boundaries and others carrying sexual meaning. She explained that users often ask to meet face to face, and that many profiles feature revealing images.

Another teen said many users also treat Wizz like an alternative to Snapchat. The app encourages interaction with those who are currently active, which heightens the speed at which messages arrive. As of late 2023, Wizz had amassed 16 million users globally.

Safety Measures and How They Are Being Bypassed

Wizz requires each user to submit a birth date alongside biometric age verification based on a face scan. Its parent company says these checks help confirm that users are genuine and that their profile information matches their appearance. The company also states that accounts are filtered to ensure that teens interact with those within their own age range.

Despite these measures, predators have been able to circumvent the system. In Florida, police arrested a 20-year-old man in 2024 after he contacted a 14-year-old girl on Wizz while claiming to be 16. In Washington, a 23-year-old man was charged with rape after meeting a 12-year-old girl who believed he was 15.

A 19-year-old Marine in Hawaii was charged with sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl he met through the app. In another case, a 27-year-old man in Chicago was charged with assaulting several teenage girls after posing as a teen himself. These incidents illustrate how adults can falsify their details to gain access to younger users.

Concerns From Safety Experts

Stephen Balkam, founder of the Family Online Safety Institute, tested the app by attempting to register as a 15-year-old. He said his photo was flagged for human review, yet the account was still approved within five minutes before later being removed. Balkam said this shows how adults can slip past initial checks long enough to contact minors.

In response, Wizz CEO Thomas Donninger said the app removed the test account within 84 seconds and argued that its verification system performed correctly. He added that the company uses technology from Yoti for age checks and highlighted ongoing updates to its safeguards. Wizz said it works with child protection groups and online safety specialists to improve the platform.

Psychologist Jean Twenge said teens often look for ways to access platforms intended for older users, and that this behaviour increases their exposure to risk. She added that many are not mature enough to handle adult-style interactions with strangers online. Twenge said teens should ideally avoid smartphones until at least age 16 or 17 due to vulnerabilities linked to apps like Wizz.

App Store Removal and Current Status

The app was temporarily removed from the App Store and Google Play after concerns were raised about potential sextortion risks. It has since been reinstated and has more than 1 million downloads on Google Play alone. Wizz says the platform remains for users aged 13 and older, even though it is listed as 12+ on Apple's store.

Wizz's spokesperson said the company is committed to teen safety and highlighted the presence of AI moderation, verification tools and human oversight. They said the app's main aim is to offer teens a safe place to form friendships.

What Parents Need to Know Now

Teens report that the app is widely used, particularly in New York, and that many classmates maintain active profiles. They say the platform's friendly, wholesome marketing does not match the way it is used in practice. Safety experts say parents should be fully aware of how Wizz operates and the risks involved when teens meet strangers online.