Yik Yak

About

Yik Yak is a mobile group-messaging application which allows users to anonymously post on bulletin boards pre-assigned by their geographic location.

History

In November 2013, Yik Yak was launched by developers Brooks Buffington and Tyler Droll after the pair graduated from Furman University in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. By April 2014, Yik Yak amassed $1.5 million in investment from Vaizra Investments, DCM, Kevin Colleran and Azure Capital Partners. At the end of June, Yik Yak received an addition $10 million in funding.

Features

Yik Yak uses GPS to determine a user’s location and allows them to view anonymously submitted posts published by people within a 1.5 mile radius. The app cannot be used while the device is within a “geofenced” area, typically including middle schools and high schools. Yik Yak allows users to upvote and downvote posts, which are auto-hidden after receiving a net negative score of five.^[1][2] Users are given a “yakarma” score based on votes their posts receive. The app has a “Peek” mode, which enables users to view other community feeds without the ability to post or vote.

Controversies

Many schools and universities have banned the app within their grounds, claiming it can be used by students to cyberbully peers. In March, Yik Yak was disabled in the Chicago-area after several local high school principals expressed concerns about students using the app inappropriately.^[3] Yik Yak subsequently hired the Vermont-based company Maponics to build “geofenced” areas that would disable the app on devices near middle schools and high schools in the United States.^[4]

Search Interest

External References