Ask.fm

Ask.fm is a question and answer format social networking site founded in 2010 that allows users to ask questions anonymously. It was created by brothers Ilja and Mark Terebin in Riga, Latvia who wanted to create a rival of Formspring, another Q and A style social networking site. Questions are only displayed publicly on ones' profile when they respond to them, and users can opt out of answering questions. Ask.fm has a reputation for its ethical concerns as it is a site where an abundance of cyberbullying has occurred, and the website and app has also been linked to the suicides of five teens in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

History

Ownership

In 2010, lja and Mark Terebin founded Ask.fm. In 2014, the site was bought by InterActiveCorp (IAC), the company that owns Ask.com. IAC promised to improve safety measures and address bullying concerns. In 2016, IAC sold Ask.fm to asset management firm Noosphere.

Headquarters

When Ask.fm was purchased by IAC in 2014, their headquarters moved from Latvia to Dublin, Ireland. IAC determined that in order to help Ask.fm with their safety issues, they need to have them in a location with pre existing infrastructure and networks.