'I'm sorry I couldn't keep fighting': Omegle founder announces official shutdown of strangers' platform

After 14 years, Omegle is officially closing its doors. The website is no longer working and displays a message stating its discontinuation.

Omegle, a popular social media platform, provided a free online service for strangers to chat through messages and video calls.

The platform gained immense popularity due to its registration-free access and the ability for users to engage in one-on-one chats anonymously.

The founder, Leif-K Brooks, announced the shutdown. He created Omegle in 2009 at the age of 18 from his bedroom.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Omegle became even more popular, connecting strangers online and fostering cultural diversity.

Visiting Omegle's official site now reveals a message from the founder, starting with 'Dear strangers.' Brooks explains that his lack of social activity during college inspired him to create the chatting website.

 

According to reports, Omegle had over 3 million daily active users. In his note, the founder sadly admits that the stress and expense of operating Omegle, along with the battle against its misuse, became too overwhelming. Financially and psychologically, continuing Omegle is no longer sustainable for him.

The founder acknowledges the broader issue of online services facing similar attacks and expresses concern about the future of the internet, urging support for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

He concludes by thanking those who used Omegle positively and contributed to its success, expressing regret that he could not continue the fight.