The acquisition of controversial social network Ask.fm, which has been linked to a number of teen suicides in addition to other toxic behaviour, raised a few eyebrows last summer, and buyer Ask.com has spoken about the thought-process behind keeping the site amid its run of bad publicity.
Ask.com CEO Doug Leeds spoke to Newsbeat about the current Ask.fm situation, admitting: "We did look at shutting it down and we thought about it significantly as an option.
"We came to the conclusion that there's a good business here as long as you make the service safer."
The site has already made strides to stamp out abusive and damaging behaviour that once ran riot, introducing a new safety centre designed to reach teens, parents, teachers and law enforcement with advice on what to do about the negative online contingent.
A Safety Advisory Board consisting of online safety experts, including secretary of the British Childrens' Charities Coalition on Internet Safety, has also been set up.
"Our motto since we bought the company has been anonymity with responsibility," Leeds continued. "We think there are a lot of benefits and obviously users agree to anonymity. You can ask questions that you wouldn't feel comfortable asking."
The site famously reaches a younger demographic than other social media platforms which, coupled with the ability to remain anonymous when interacting with others, created an environment in which rules were difficult to enforce.
"That's where we draw the line; when anonymity is being used as a method to cause harm then we can take action and it isn't appropriate for our service," Leeds added.
Under the new ownership, the site will employ additional filters and more manpower in order to moderate activity, now looking at 40 per cent more content than before. Inappropriate content will usually be responded to within 15 minutes, he said.
"There was a naivety there, but that's all history now. It's a big investment in clever technology and people, that's what's going to make the difference."
-
Bigger salaries, more burnout: Is the CISO role in crisis?In-depth CISOs are more stressed than ever before – but why is this and what can be done?
-
Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
-
The creator effect: Shaping the future of travelWhitepaper The way forward for the travel sector
-
How digital marketing will evolve beyond social mediaIn-depth Twitter's ongoing destabilisation proves businesses can't rely on social media for digital marketing forever
-
TikTok launches programme to help SMBs with social media marketingNews Six-week initiative aims to equip businesses with the skills they need to get started on the social platform
-
Google accused of colluding with Facebook over advertising auctionsNews The deal was designed to "kill competition" within the market, a multi-state lawsuit claims
-
Snapchat now allows you to display subscriber numbersNews This update will help companies to show their influence on their industries
-
New chatbot and nano influencer services help online sellersNews Online sellers will be able to grow brand awareness, boost buying frequency and build brand loyalty
-
Facebook launches a unified UI for managing small business accountsNews The social network has also released consumer surveys that show encouraging stats for local SMBs
-
Businesses should act fast during upcoming Twitter purgeNews Twitter is freeing up dormant accounts, with hugely valuable handles available to the fastest fingers
