Zigazoo’s Unique Approach to Kids’ Safety Online
Many apps and games for children have age limits, but these restrictions can often be easily bypassed. A child might just change their birth date and gain access to apps that aren’t meant for them. However, Zigazoo, a social media app designed specifically for kids and teens, takes a different path.
Similar in style to TikTok, Zigazoo allows users to upload short videos, enjoy a scrolling feed, like content, and leave comments. The big difference lies in its safety features. Zigazoo uses only positive reactions, does not support private messaging, and all content is checked by moderators before anyone can see it.
With over 10 million users, what stood out to me was their registration process. When I attempted to create a free account, Zigazoo requested a live video selfie of both me and a child together. Since I didn’t have a young child with me, I thought I could trick the system by using a photo of my son and me. At first, it seemed like it might work. But then, the app prompted us to blink. This measure ensures that two real people are present and prevents someone from just holding up a picture.
Without completing this verification, I couldn’t finish setting up my account. This process is much harder to fake than simply entering a different birth date.
However, there’s a catch. When I later signed up for Zigazoo’s paid Premium plan, I was able to access the app without going through the same parent-and-child video verification. The Premium plan costs around $80 per year or $10 per month, and it offers perks like longer videos, quicker posting, the ability to create challenges, and more options for account customization.
The free version still provides the main features of the app, allowing users to browse the feed and upload videos, but first, they must complete the verification steps.
While Zigazoo isn’t perfect and no social media platform can completely eliminate risks, it does a better job of verifying that a real parent is involved compared to apps that only ask for a birth date. This raises an important question: if Zigazoo can make age verification so tough to fake, why aren’t other platforms adopting similar measures?
