A mother from Carlisle, Kirsty Hopley, has expressed her outrage after encountering a disturbing advertisement on the secondhand shopping platform Vinted. While searching for a dressing gown for her teenage daughter, Hopley stumbled upon a video that she described as depicting a graphic sexual assault. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of users, particularly minors, on the platform.
Hopley, 44, was browsing Vinted when an advertisement titled “My girlfriend is having an affair with my father” appeared among the clothing listings. The video featured explicit content that Hopley characterized as “awful.” In her description, she detailed a scene where the female character appeared to be in distress, leading to significant emotional distress for Hopley, who was next to her 13-year-old daughter at the time.
The advertisement was part of a troubling trend, as earlier this week, French authorities initiated an investigation into claims that some sellers on Vinted were redirecting users to adult content, including profiles promoting platforms like OnlyFans. The lack of an age verification system on Vinted has raised alarms, with concerns that children could easily access inappropriate material.
Hopley, who teaches law and criminology, stated that she was disheartened by the incident. She emphasized that she would no longer allow her teenage daughters, aged 13 and 15, to use the app. “I’m really disappointed, because it’s such a good business, and then all of a sudden I feel like they’ve just got greedy,” she said. “They don’t want it pumped in their face when there’s children’s stuff on there.”
This was not the first time Hopley had seen the ad; she had previously scrolled past it but found it “unusual.” When it appeared again, she quickly took screenshots to report it to Vinted. Despite her efforts, the initial response from the company was an automated message. After a delay, customer service requested that she click on the link to provide further information, which she found unacceptable.
“Are you completely and utterly mad?” Hopley responded. “You want me to click on the porn link and see where it takes me?” She has since reported the incident to Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator.
The advertisement promoted an app called DramaWave, which claims to be a streaming platform for drama series. While Hopley noted that the ad did not graphically depict body parts, she believes it was clearly pornographic and inappropriate for children. She called for Vinted to implement more robust measures to prevent similar incidents in the future and improve user reporting systems.
In response to the incident, a spokesperson for Vinted stated, “At Vinted, we have a zero-tolerance policy regarding unsolicited sexual communications and the promotion of sexual content.” They confirmed that they take action against ads that violate these policies, including removal and blocking.
As public scrutiny intensifies, it remains crucial for platforms like Vinted to ensure a safe environment for all users, particularly vulnerable minors. Hopley’s experience highlights the need for stringent regulations and accountability in online marketplaces.
