WASHINGTON, DC – The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint against anonymous messaging app Sendit and its parent company Iconic Hearts, alleging the platform deceived children and illegally collected personal data from over 116,000 users under age 13 without parental consent.
The FTC complaint details a pattern of deceptive practices targeting teenagers who used the app, which integrates with popular social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. According to the allegations, Sendit sent users fake, provocative anonymous messages such as “would you ever get with me?” to trick them into purchasing costly memberships.
The app charged $9.99 for a “Diamond Membership” that promised to reveal the identity of anonymous message senders, but regulators say the charges were recurring weekly subscriptions that were not clearly disclosed as such. When users paid to identify who sent them messages, they often received false information, the FTC alleges.
Most troubling to regulators was Sendit’s handling of data from children under 13. The FTC says that in 2022 alone, more than 116,000 users reported being under the legal age limit, yet the company failed to notify parents or obtain required consent before collecting personal information, in direct violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Sendit gained significant popularity among teenagers, accumulating 3.5 million downloads after similar anonymous messaging apps were suspended from app stores. The app’s business model relied on convincing users to pay for premium features by generating artificial engagement through fake messages.
The FTC complaint targets both Sendit and Iconic Hearts, the app’s parent company. Hunter Rice, the founder of Iconic Hearts, previously dismissed concerns about the app’s practices when questioned by media outlets about potential deceptive behavior.
Anonymous question apps have faced increasing scrutiny from regulators and parents due to concerns about cyberbullying, privacy violations, and predatory business practices targeting minors. Several similar apps have been removed from major app stores following complaints about harmful content and deceptive practices.
The FTC has not yet announced specific fines or penalties in the case, though COPPA violations can result in substantial financial penalties. The complaint seeks to force Sendit to change its business practices and potentially face monetary sanctions for the alleged violations.
The case represents the latest effort by federal regulators to crack down on apps that target children with deceptive practices while failing to provide adequate privacy protections required by law.
