What is Chatroulette?

Chatroulette is a website that pairs random users together for webcam-based conversations. It was created in 2009 by Andrey Ternovskiy, a Russian teenager at the time. The site randomly connects users from around the world for one-on-one video chats using their webcams.

When a user visits Chatroulette.com, they are prompted to allow access to their webcam before entering the next available chat. The user is then connected via video chat to another random Chatroulette user. Users can have conversations for as long as they want before clicking the 'Next' button to be randomly paired with another stranger.

The service gained significant popularity after launching thanks to coverage in major media outlets. Much of the hype around Chatroulette focused on its potential for unexpected and unique social connections with people from different cultures around the world. However, the random nature of the service also led to frequent encounters with nude users or users exhibiting lewd behaviors.

While no longer at the peak of its popularity, Chatroulette still retains a base of users interested in random webcam-based conversations with strangers. It inspired many other randomized video chat services. However, most major technology companies now offer their own video chat services integrated with existing platforms, diminishing the uniqueness of Chatroulette's value proposition.

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