Kik Messenger, commonly called Kik, is a freeware instant messaging mobile app from the Canadian company Kik Interactive, available free of charge on iOS and Android operating systems.[1] It uses a smartphone's data plan or Wi-Fi to transmit and receive messages, photos, videos, sketches, mobile webpages, and other content after users register a username.[2] Kik is known for its features preserving users' anonymity, such as allowing users to register without providing a telephone number.[3][4] The application logs user IP addresses which the company can use to determine location.[5] As of May 2016, Kik Messenger had approximately 300 million registered users, and was used by approximately 40% of United States teenagers.[6]
Kik Messenger has drawn controversy due to its reported involvement in a number of incidents of child exploitation. The app has been criticized as unsafe for minors due to its anonymity features and allegedly weak parental control mechanisms.
