Omegle Shuts Down After 14 Years: 'I Don't Want To Have A Heart Attack In My 30s', Says Founder

Popular anonymous text and video chatting platform Omegle is shutting down after 14 years over complaints of abuse. Omegle founder Leif K Brooks blamed it on financial and psychological stress for his decision to kill the service.

What Happened: Omegle has been permanently shut down by its founder, Brooks, who said he no longer wants to deal with the stress associated with running the service.

"In recent years, it seems like the whole world has become more ornery… whatever the reason, people have become faster to attack, and slower to recognize each other's shared humanity," Brooks said.

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Brooks says that a "malicious" subset of users has led a barrage of attacks on Omegle, making it increasingly difficult to continue operating the service.

"As much as I wish circumstances were different, the stress and expense of this fight — coupled with the existing stress and expense of operating Omegle, and fighting its misuse — are simply too much," he said, adding that the financial and psychological stress of keeping Omegle running was beyond the tipping point.

"Frankly, I don't want to have a heart attack in my 30s," he said, sounding defeated.

Why It Matters: Launched in 2009, Omegle offered anonymous chat services in one-on-one sessions. If you are a millennial or a Gen Z, chances are you have stumbled upon Omegle at some point.

The service connects strangers regardless of their age, gender, or location. The core idea was that you get to talk to new people without divulging your personal information.

However, there was a dark side to this, too – malicious people took advantage of the anonymity to prey on unsuspecting people. This eventually led to the death of the chat platform.

"There can be no honest accounting of Omegle without acknowledging that some people misused it, including to commit unspeakably heinous crimes," Brooks concluded.

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