Yo, the biggest hit social media app of the moment, has fallen victim to a severe hack which has led to user’s phone numbers being made publicly available, spam messages being targeted to user’s inboxes and finally the ability to take control of individual’s accounts.
The app’s framework is relatively uncomplicated as is the functionality, it basically allows users to send messages to each other. The content of the message is restrictive in the sense that the only word that is able to be communicated between users is the word ‘yo’.
Creator Or Arbel has come in for criticism for making an app described by app-enthusiasts as ‘pointless’, however he has managed to raise $1 million in investment for his development, and he currently tops the charts in various countries across both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
Social Media Problems
This is the latest in a series of social media infestations which have come to the fore in recent months, with instant photo app Snapchat, and ‘hook-up’ app Tinder both falling victim to hacking problems.
Mr Arbel has hired a team of security specialists to attempt to resolve the problem with Yo, the timing of which it must be said is relatively unfortunate.
Yo has become extremely popular almost overnight with over a million downloads thus far, and according to the app’s creator, the word ‘yo’ has now been sent in excess of 4 and a half million times.
The seven-figure investment has come as a real surprise to many within Silicon Valley, and is seen as being representative of the kind of hysteria surrounding any kind of social media app with something slightly individual in its make-up. Many are still struggling to come to terms with the idea that Facebook parted with $19 billion to buy What’sApp based on a hunch. It is this kind of inflated deal which has opened up the market place, and encouraged more and more developers to come up with similar apps which stray just enough from the common route to stand out from the crowd.
Yo, which took eight hours to develop, has now introduced a ‘yo’ notification to users every time a goal is scored in the World Cup in Brazil, and there are other ideas being floated currently too, for example, a ‘yo’ to be sent when the user’s take-away leaves the premises on its way to be delivered.
Yo was recently described by one industry commentator as ‘accelerating the decline of civilisation’, although to claim this is down to the creation of just one app – which arrived relatively late to the party – may be slightly harsh perhaps….