OmeTV
| OmeTV | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers | Bad Kitty’s Dad, LDA |
| Platform | iOS, Android, Web browser |
| Type | Video chat |
| License | Freeware |
| Website | ometv |
OmeTV is a video chat app and website that connects users with strangers. The service lets people talk using live video or text chat. It is owned by Bad Kitty’s Dad, LDA, a company based in Portugal. The platform is an alternative to Omegle, which closed down in 2023.
Features
[edit]OmeTV pairs two people for a face-to-face video call.[1] The app matches users randomly with people from around the world.[1][2] If a user does not want to talk to their current match, they can swipe or click to skip to the next person.[3] The service works on mobile phones and web browsers.[4] Before it was removed from some stores, it was the 11th most downloaded app on the Apple App Store in Australia.[1]
Safety and privacy
[edit]Users can stay anonymous while chatting on the platform.[5] Because the app connects strangers at random, Australian police warned that it creates safety risks.[5] These risks include seeing inappropriate content or meeting dangerous people.[3] The app uses a checkbox to check a user's age, but critics say this is easy to bypass.[3]
In 2025, Australian officials stated that the app was used for grooming and sexual exploitation.[1] The eSafety Commissioner in Australia sent a formal warning to the app's owner in August 2025.[5] The warning said the app did not have enough safety tools to protect children from contacting adults.[5]
Regulation
[edit]The parent company did not reply to the warning from the eSafety Commissioner.[4] In October 2025, Apple and Google removed OmeTV from their app stores in Australia.[1] The removal happened after reports that predators used the app to target children.[1] Even after the app store ban, the website remained online.[4] The company faced possible fines of up to $49.5 million for breaking Australian safety laws.[5]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cross, Julie (October 28, 2025). "Chat app OmeTV has been banned in Australia after predator warnings". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ↑ "What is Omegle? What parents need to know". Internet Matters. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Popov, Cristina (April 15, 2025). "What Parents Need to Know About OmeTV". Bitdefender. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Lawry, Elliot (October 28, 2025). "OmeTV removed from app stores over child grooming concerns". The Daily Aus. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Leach, Maddison (August 25, 2025). "Popular video app slapped with formal warning over child grooming concerns". 9News. Retrieved January 8, 2026.