[1] Another key aspect of anonymous social media is that content or information posted is not connected with particular online identities or profiles.
[2] Appearing very early on the web as mostly anonymous-confession websites, this genre of social media has evolved into various types and formats of anonymous self-expression.
With the way digital content is consumed and created continuously changing, the trending shift from web to mobile applications is also affecting anonymous social media.
The number of new networks joining the anonymous social sharing scene continues to grow rapidly.
Secret users must provide a phone number or email when signing up for the service, and their information is encrypted into their posts.
[17] The app Yik Yak has also helped to contribute to more cyberbullying situations and, in turn, was blocked on some school networks.
[18] Their privacy policy meant that users could not be identified without a subpoena, search warrant, or court order.
As the number of people using these platforms multiplies, unintended uses of the apps have increased, urging popular networks to enact in-app warnings and prohibit the use for middle and high school students.
[24] In order to limit the havoc caused, anonymous apps are currently removing all abusive and harmful posts.
[25] Apps such as Yik Yak, Secret, and Whisper are removing these posts by outsourcing the job of content supervision to oversea surveillance companies.
[35] [36] In the United States, the 2016 presidential election led to an increase in the use of anonymous social media websites to express political stances.
There have been cases where these anonymous platforms have saved individuals from life-threatening situation or spread news about a social cause.
They have developed a "keyword-based" approach, where advertisements are shown to users depending on certain words they type.
[49] Other anonymous sites, such as Reddit, have been cautious in implementing them in order to maintain their user base.