Sarahah app used to harass, abuse others

Hyderabad: After the dangerous ‘Blue Whale’, another social media application that is being misused is Sarahah, which masks the identity of a message’s sender. Some users are using the app to harass others.  Recently, Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat got an SOS from a Facebook user, about a victimised Sarahah user from Karnataka, helped police to rescue a girl in Mangalore.

Sarahah, which means ‘Honesty’ in Arabic, is a website which allows employees to give their bosses anonymous feedback. Though the application was meant for a good purpose, it has become a platform for bullying others. Police said that of late there are many complaints about this app. As the identity of the user is concealed, the users are using it to make vulgar comments and threaten people. Cops have asked social media users to stay away from the app.

“Children should not be allowed to download this application,” police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said. He said that he recently got an SOS from a Facebook friend who said that her friend in Mangalore had left a message on her Facebook account saying “I am quitting life” and was not accessible for hours. The information was immediately sent to the Mangalore DCP, who in turn alerted the Cyber Cell. However, she could not be traced.

Later, she was traced using her IP address. When cops rescued her, she was depressed. She was rushed to counselling centre where it was found that she was a Sarahah user and was abused by others. “Sometimes users make murder threats. Recently, a 13-year-old girl got an anonymous message that her two-year-old brother would be killed,” the commissioner said, adding that the application is being misused to target children. Parents must be cautious and must ask kids not to download the Sarahah app on their mobiles.