Kik Messenger
| Kik Messenger
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|---|---|
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| Basic data
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| developer | Kik Interactive Inc. |
| Publishing year | October 2010 |
| Current version | 10.7.0.6811 ( Android - Google Play Store) June 22, 2016 10.7.0 iOS 1.2.0 ( Windows 10 Mobile ) |
| operating system | Android , iOS , Blackberry OS (5, 6, 7) Nokia Series 40 , Windows 10 Mobile |
| category | Instant messaging |
| License | proprietary |
| German speaking | Yes |
| www.kik.com | |
Kik Messenger is a free, available since 2010 instant messaging - service for use on smartphones and tablets . The software can be obtained from the official sales channels of the respective platforms such as Google Play , iTunes Store or the Windows Store .
history
In January 2009, Kik Interactive Inc. was founded by students from the University of Waterloo in Ontario , Canada . After the release of the first version of Kik Messenger in October 2010, the number of users grew steadily.
In November 2013, the free app had over 100 million users. The majority of messenger users are between 11 and 15 years old.
On September 24, 2019, CEO and founder Ted Livingston announced that the Kik Messenger is being discontinued. On October 18, 2019, it was announced that MediaLab had bought the app and that the messaging service would remain online.
Functions
Kik Messenger belongs to the group of instant messaging programs and, unlike SMS, is not a separate service of the mobile operator, but uses Internet access. The application is available for the operating systems Android , Apple iOS , BlackBerry OS , Nokia Series 40 and Windows Mobile available.
Kik can also be installed on non- GSM enabled mobile devices such as tablet computers .
In addition to sending text messages, you can exchange photo and video files and share YouTube videos and self-drawn pictures, so-called sketches .
When contacting other users, their user name is used instead of their telephone number.
criticism
Criminologists and youth advocates warn that Kik Messenger is particularly attractive for pedo criminals because chats can be made anonymously without specifying a cell phone number and media files can be exchanged without restrictions. In the evaluation area of the Play Store, there are expressly requests for contact directed at minors as well as users who defend themselves against contact initiation by pedophiles.
At the beginning of 2016, a lawyer for the messenger operator tried to force the owner of the identical but independent npm package kik to rename his software, as this would violate naming rights. After no agreement could be found with the package owner, npm support revoked the ownership of the package with the name kik .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Download page for Android at play.google.com , accessed on June 23, 2016.
- ↑ Download page for iOS at itunes.apple.com , accessed June 15, 2016.
- ↑ Kik.com , accessed March 31, 2015
- ↑ a b golem.de: Whatsapp alternative and protection of minors: Criminologist warns of Kik Messenger , February 28, 2014 , accessed on March 31, 2015
- ↑ Kik Messenger stays online - MediaLab buys the app. October 20, 2019, accessed on October 20, 2019 (Swiss Standard German).
- ↑ Kik.com About , accessed March 31, 2015
- ↑ golem.de: Understanding, attacks and heated basic discussions. March 24, 2016, accessed on February 20, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Azer Koçulu: I've Just Liberated My Modules. In: Medium. March 22, 2016, accessed June 1, 2019 .