


MY TALKING ANGELA NEWS SOFTWARE
When USA Today ran an article in 2014 about the pedophile ring hoax, Samo Login, Outfit7’s cofounder, told the newspaper that the app is based on chatbot software and it isn’t possible for a human to take over talking for Angela. She asked him questions like, "How long have you been friends with your best friend?" and "I’m 18. Lastly, Dredge wrote, when "child mode" is turned off, users can chat with Angela using a text box at the bottom of the screen. There was also a camera feature, he said in the article, "that encourages users to look into their device’s camera and make specific gestures: nod, shake head, smile, yawn or stick your their tongue, so Angela can copy it." (This wasn’t a feature when we used the app.) "The downside of this: it’s far too easy to toggle it on and off." "If you’ve read about Angela asking kids for their names, ages or engaging in banter about clothes-swapping parties, none of this can happen if Child Mode is on," he wrote. Talking Angela is for both adults and children but when Dredge wrote his story in 2014, there was a "child mode" setting (when we used the app, we couldn’t find such a setting). Writing for The Guardian, Stuart Dredge concluded that it was a hoax, but he noted that Outfit7 could improve the how children interact with the app. But news coverage of the app in 2014 suggests parents then had valid reasons for concern.īack then there were rumors the app was a front for a pedohile ring. ("Just because you don’t have a prince, doesn’t mean you’re not a princess," one says.)Īngela didn’t ask me any questions unless she was repeating a question I asked her. A fortune appears on the screen and users have the option to save it to their phone’s photos. Clicking on the heart brings a dog dressed as a waiter onto the screen and he presents Angela with a chocolate that she opens. There is a pink heart, like the Facebook post says, though it’s in the bottom right corner. There’s a button that directs users to YouTube and four buttons on the bottom of the screen that let users buy gifts for Angela or summons birds to fly across the screen. Because my microphone is enabled, Angela also repeats what I say. By touching the screen, I can make her giggle or reach for her tail with a shriek. She’s sitting at a cafe table, blinking and occasionally yawning.

After allowing the app to access my microphone, Angela appears dressed in a blue, strapless dress. First, the app asks users for the year they were born and this writer confirmed that she is an adult. But we downloaded the app to experience Talking Angela for ourselves. Outfit7 didn’t immediately respond to an email from PolitiFact asking about the Facebook post. And watch out for birds - you never know what might fly by." "Enjoy amazing gifts, pick the latest styles, and sip magical cocktails to experience special moments. "There are so many surprises, you better sit down. The company’s website invites users to join Angela, a white cat with blue eyes, "in Paris - the city of love, style and magic." The app once included a chat feature that let users text with Angela and she could ask questions there, but that no longer seems to be an option. We’ll cut to the chase: As far as we can tell, the app doesn’t take users’ photos and Angela can’t ask questions unless she’s repeating back a question you asked her. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. Please check your children’s iPods and all to make sure they do not have this app!!! Please pass this message on to your friends and family members that have kids!!!!" "There is a site called Talking Angela, this site asks kids questions like: there (sic) names, where they go to school and also take pictures of their faces by pushing a heart on the bottom left corner without any notices.

"Warning to all parents with children that have any electronics devices," the Facebook post says in all caps. What appears to be a screenshot of a Facebook post was shared on the social media platform on May 7 encouraging parents to "take no chances." So we wondered when we saw a warning about another Internet-based threat. Except it was a hoax - the "Momo challenge" isn’t real. Remember the "Momo challenge"? It stemmed from an unsettling ghoul-like figure known as "Momo" that reportedly appeared online and encouraged unsuspecting children to hurt themselves.
