Omegle, a well-known online chat service, is being shut down after 14 years of operation. Upon visiting Omegle.com, users now find a message from the founder, Leif K-Brooks, explaining that the decision to close the website is due to the site no longer being sustainable from a financial and psychological standpoint.

Introduced in 2009, Omegle offered users random chats with strangers without requiring account registration, matching participants based on shared interests. While the platform aided in cross-cultural connections and even romantic encounters, it faced major controversies, including legal issues. One of the most serious problems was its use by sexual predators to contact minors.

In 2021, a lawsuit was brought against the service when an 11-year-old was allegedly paired with a sexual predator. As a result of this and other issues, Omegle has been included in a settlement of a sexual abuse lawsuit. K-Brooks acknowledged the misuse of the site for committing "unspeakably heinous crimes," expressing a wider concern for the dangerous misuse of internet communication services.

Finally, the article notes that online safety legislation has become stricter worldwide, with the UK recently passing a bill aimed at protecting minors from exploitation on the internet.