What is Yik Yak?
Yik Yak was a location-based social networking mobile app that allowed people to anonymously create and view discussion threads called "yaks" within a 5-mile radius. It was similar to other anonymous social apps such as Whisper and Secret.
Yik Yak launched in 2013 and quickly became popular, especially on high school and college campuses, for sharing humor, opinions, gossip, and more. The app allowed users to upvote or downvote posts, with heavily downvoted posts automatically deleted. No profiles or logins were required since all users were anonymous.
At its peak popularity in 2014, Yik Yak raised over $70 million in funding. However, the anonymity provided by the app also enabled issues like cyberbullying. In response, Yik Yak implemented geofences around middle and high schools to disable access. Despite attempts to filter out abusive content, negative incidents continued along with a general decline in users. In 2017, Yik Yak shut down.
While it existed, supporters of Yik Yak praised it as a platform for free expression. Critics argued the anonymous format too easily allowed for harmful behavior without accountability. Yik Yak serves as an example of the ongoing challenges in properly moderating anonymous social apps.