can you make an anonymous report to social services

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How to Make an Anonymous CPS Report Online & Over the Phone

Last Updated: July 6, 2024 Fact Checked

How to Anonymously Report to CPS

• State Phone Numbers & Websites

Other Important Hotlines

• Who Can Report

How to Recognize Child Abuse

This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman . Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 398,052 times.

Any suspected child abuse or neglect is a serious issue, and it’s important to report it to Child Protective Services (CPS) as soon as possible. In the United States, CPS is managed on a state level, so it’s essential to contact your state’s CPS branch online or over the phone to make an anonymous report. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the reporting process, including useful phone numbers, websites, and hotlines. We’ll also cover the different types of child abuse and how to recognize them so you can be as informed as possible when making your report.

Things You Should Know

• Make an anonymous report online or over the phone using your state’s designated website and phone number.
• Provide as much detail as you can in your report, including the events or observations that caused you to suspect abuse.
• Call the Childhelp National Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 for additional advice on how to report child abuse.

• Check the State Phone Numbers & Websites for Reporting section below to find the best ways to report child abuse in your state.

• “Whenever I see Jake, an 8-year-old kid in my neighborhood, he’s always covered in bruises. I’m worried that his parents might be abusing him at home.”
• “Casey Perkins, a 12-year-old in my child’s class, frequently comes to school in dirty clothes, and she has an obvious body odor. My child also notices that she asks other students for part of their lunches—I’m concerned that she might be neglected at home.”
• “I volunteer at a summer camp, and I’m seriously concerned that Randall Ramirez, a 9-year-old kid there, might be getting sexually abused at home. They always seem to be in pain when they’re sitting down, and they tested positive for an STI at the infirmary.”

• Call the Childhelp Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 to learn if/how you can follow up on your case.

State Phone Numbers & Websites for Reporting

• * means that the website is meant for mandated reporters only
• ** means that the website may be unavailable

• Childhelp also offers text support at the same number and live chat support on their website.

• Keep in mind that CyberTipline is meant to report online child abuse, not adult abuse. If someone has posted inappropriate content of an adult online, visit the Stop Non-Consensual Image Abuse website or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center .

Who can make an anonymous CPS report?

• Visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway's website for more information about mandatory reporters.

• The child is absent often.
• The child doesn’t dress appropriately for the weather.
• The child seems filthy and smells bad.
• The child requests food and/or steals money from others. [7] X Research source

• A child with visible injuries (e.g., bruises, burns, bites, etc.).
• A child who’s visibly afraid of their parent or guardian.
• A child who’s fearful of adults.
• A child with disappearing injuries after being away from school. [9] X Trustworthy Source Child Welfare Information Gateway Online portal managed by the U.S. Children's Bureau providing resources related to childcare and abuse prevention Go to source

• A child with polarizing types of behavior (e.g., being incredibly submissive then being incredibly aggressive).
• A child who’s behind their peers when it comes to emotional development and maturity.
• A child who acts extremely mature or extremely juvenile.
• A child who has tried to take their own life in the past. [11] X Trustworthy Source Child Welfare Information Gateway Online portal managed by the U.S. Children's Bureau providing resources related to childcare and abuse prevention Go to source

• The child has trouble sitting down or walking around.
• The child mentions wetting the bed or having bad dreams.
• The child is uncomfortable switching clothes for gym class or doing physical things.
• The child gets pregnant or tests positive for an STI/STD. [13] X Trustworthy Source Child Welfare Information Gateway Online portal managed by the U.S. Children's Bureau providing resources related to childcare and abuse prevention Go to source

Expert Q&A

• Check out resources like ChildWelfare , HHS , MayoClinic , and KidsHealth to learn more about child abuse. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• If you’re ever confused about any part of the child abuse reporting process, call or text the Childhelp Hotline at 1-800-422-4453, or visit their website to chat with a professional. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

• If you suspect that a child’s life is in danger because of their abuse, call 911 rather than your state’s abuse hotline. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.childwelfare.gov/how-report-child-abuse-and-neglect//
• ↑ https://www.childwelfare.gov/how-report-child-abuse-and-neglect/
• ↑ https://www.childhelphotline.org/how-it-works/
• ↑ https://mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/child-abuse/symptoms-causes/syc-20370864
• ↑ https://cwig-prod-prod-drupal-s3fs-us-east-1.s3.amazonaws.com/public/documents/signs.pdf
• ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/child-abuse/symptoms-causes/syc-20370864
• ↑ https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/signs.pdf
• ↑ https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/can/identifying/emotional-abuse/
• ↑ https://hside.org/child-abuse-signs-symptoms/#types

About This Article

To make an anonymous report to child protective services, start by collecting as much information as you can about the situation, such as the child’s name, their parent’s names, address, age, and a description of their abuse or neglect. Since there are many child protective services across the country, call ChildHelp on 1-800-422-4453, who will direct you to the relevant authority. Alternatively, search online for your state or region, followed by “Child abuse hotline” to find the right organization for your area. However, if you suspect that a child is in immediate danger, don’t hesitate to call 911. For more tips from our Legal co-author, including how to report child abuse or neglect in writing, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Make an Anonymous Report to Child Protective Services

By David Weedmark

Updated February 13, 2020

ChrisMajors/iStock/GettyImages

If you believe a child is being abused or maltreated, you can anonymously report it to child protective services, or CPS, by calling the hotline in your state or county. But this is not the only way to help a child who is in need. If you believe a child is in imminent danger, call 911, which you can also do anonymously, if necessary.

Identifying Child Abuse and Maltreatment

Approximately 60 percent of all calls to CPS are made anonymously. Of those calls, however, less than 2 percent are substantiated by any evidence by CPS after its investigation. Before making a report, it's important to have some degree of certainty that what you have witnessed is really harmful to a child.

Specific definitions of child abuse and maltreatment vary from state to state, but the general definition is straightforward. Child abuse occurs when a parent, guardian or anyone else legally responsible for the child has:

• inflicted serious physical or mental injury to a child.
• substantially risked a child's life.
• caused serious or prolonged disfigurement.
• caused prolonged impairment of a child's physical or emotional health.
• sexually abused a child.
• permitted someone else to do any of the above.

A maltreated child is any child who has been physically, mentally or emotionally harmed when a parent, guardian or anyone else legally responsible for the child has:

• failed to supply the child with adequate food, shelter, clothing, medical care or education.
• unreasonably inflicted harm, or risk of harm, on a child. 
• allowed someone else to inflict harm, or risk of harm, on a child.
• misused drugs or alcohol to the point where he loses control of his actions.
• abandoned a child.

Note that any adult living in the same home as a child is usually considered to be legally responsible for that child.

What Happens When You Make a Report?

When you make a report to CPS, the response is usually immediate, with an investigation beginning within 24 hours. CPS notifies the adults responsible for the child that a report has been filed and an investigation has started. CPS may see the child first, if they feel the situation warrants it. They can also take the child into protective custody.

In following weeks, CPS determines if the complaint is credible or unfounded. Any evidence of abuse or maltreatment can make the report credible, but it may not always be enough evidence on which to submit a petition to the court for a hearing.

If the evidence suggests the threat to the child isn't serious, the report can be closed. The family may be offered support or counseling to prevent further neglect or abuse. If the parents or guardians refuse this offer, CPS can ask a judge to make their recommendations mandatory.

Other Ways to Intervene

Contacting CPS is often the best way to ensure that a child will be protected, but it isn't the only option. You always have the choice to call the local police. A third option is to contact someone in a profession or field that legally requires them to contact CPS with their name and contact information.

People in these positions are called mandatory reporters, because they are required by law to report suspected abuse or maltreatment. These positions include:

• teachers and principals.
• child care providers.
• doctors and nurses.
• therapists and counselors.
• social workers.
• law enforcement officers.

If you are in any way uncertain if you have witnessed child abuse or maltreatment, you may want to talk to someone in one of these professions who knows the child or the child's family, such as a school teacher or health care provider.

• Suffolk County New York: Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Maltreatment
• Child Welfare Information Gateway: How to Report Suspected Child Maltreatment
• Child Welfare Information Gateway: Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect

A published author and professional speaker, David Weedmark has advised businesses and governments on technology, media and marketing for more than 20 years. He has taught computer science at Algonquin College, has started three successful businesses, and has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines throughout Canada and the United States.

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Home » Am I a Mandated Reporter? » What About My Confidentiality?

What About My Confidentiality?

• When you make a report to Child Protective Services (CPS), your name is held in strictest confidence. CPS CANNOT tell the child’s family the identity of the person who made the report unless you give consent to have your name revealed.
• A judge may order CPS to release information about your identity in a court proceeding.
• Rarely, reporters are required to testify in court, in which case your identity would become known.

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When It Is — And Isn’t —Appropriate To Call Child Protective Services (CPS)

Sometimes concerns arise and authorities need to be brought in. Here's how to make the call.

Parenthood puts you on alert. This is only natural. You are, after all, in charge of your child’s well-being. And whether through playdates or other parental obligations, you often end up in charge of other people’s kids. As such, there may come a time when you see or hear something that makes you concerned enough for a child’s safety that you consider making an anonymous call to Child Protective Services (CPS) — or, as they’re sometimes called, Social Services or Child and Family Services. The question of when to call CPS is not an easy one, as it carries with it a number of strong implications. But there are times when calling CPS is the right thing to do.

All parents need to be able to recognize the signs of child abuse. More than 700,000 kids are abused annually in the United States, and Child Protection Services is a crucial resource. But how do you know when to call CPS? What if you call Child Protective Services on another parent and your gut instinct was wrong?

The fear of making such a mistake is why many adults often hesitate to call Child Protective Services. A mere accusation can send a family into disrepair. And the last thing anyone wants is to make an incorrect assumption that breaks up a family or pisses off a parent.

Ellen Smith , a Clinical Associate Professor and Child Welfare Training Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin, knows this impulse all too well. “Child Protective Services,” she says, “has the power to intervene in one of the most fundamental relationships that Americans have: the right for parents to make decisions about how to take care of their own children.”

But Smith stressed that calling Child Protective Services is necessary for some situations — and it’s a call that’s much easier and less devastating than parents might think.

Here, Smith, along with Ayoka Chapple, a social worker with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, walks concerned parents through everything to know about calling CPS on another parent or guardian.

3 Specific Reasons To Call CPS

According to Smith, there are three main reasons to call Child Protective Services.

• Physical abuse. Does the child have signs of injury or do you believe there’s an imminent threat of violence?
• Sexual abuse. Have you seen signs of grooming for abuse , or behavioral signs in the kid such as flinching or raising of hands in a defensive manner? Do you suspect some kind of sexually abusive or exploitative behavior?
• Neglect . Does the child in question live in an unlivable environment? Are they left alone for long periods of time without proper care? A more thorough explanation can be found here .

When Shouldn’t You Call Child Protective Services?

First, Remember that Child Protective Services aren’t the police. If you hear or witness something that seems to be putting a child in immediate danger, call the police. Full stop.

Per Smith, many callers tend to confuse Child Protective Services with law enforcement. “We’re not in the punishment business,” says Smith. “We’re in the business of keeping kids safe in their homes.” It’s the job of the police, not CPS, to investigate calls of abuse or neglect.

When there is evidence of abuse, you need to contact Child Protective Services immediately. But Chapple says you shouldn’t pick up the phone if your claims don’t meet the above criteria. For instance, just because you suspect a father was drinking heavily doesn’t mean he actually has been abusive to a child. You will need to have something semi-substantial to be of service.

That said, you should report red flags. “A child wearing the same dirty clothes for days on end? That may not necessarily be evidence of neglect,” offers Chapple. “It could just mean their washing machine is broken.” In other words, how can you really know what’s abuse or just a weird circumstance?

Chapple and Smith say it’s not a caller’s job to determine whether abuse or neglect occurred. Rather, their job most often is to provide observations and information to CPS that helps social workers keep an eye on certain families or corroborate other people’s claims. So if you think there’s a legitimate reason to call CPS, do so, and let the experts decide whether the conditions are severe enough to warrant intervention.

What Happens After You Call CPS

By placing a call to the national child abuse hotline or connecting with local resources through state numbers , you’re telling an authority that you believe someone may be unfit to be a parent. And both Chapple and Smith say many cases aren’t reported because callers worry about retaliation from unfit parents who may also be unfit humans. Most states, however, allow those calling CPS to report cases anonymously. You might have to provide your name and address for a follow-up, but it won’t be disclosed. If the on-call worker fears immediate danger, then local offices dispense help that day.

Per Chapple, Los Angeles County DCFS receives about 200,000 calls a year but only investigates about 150,000 of them. It’s not because there are too many calls and not enough resources. It’s because the workers are trained professionals who know when a report requires action. They will discuss the case with the caller, explaining whether or not an investigation will follow, and why.

“Maybe it isn’t something that warrants intrusion into people’s lives,” Smith says. “Part of the job of someone answering the phone is to educate the caller.” So calling CPS, even if it doesn’t end in an investigation, can help educate and empower you for the future.

Several states threaten legal repercussions for false alarms about child abuse. But you don’t have to worry about them if you call in good faith — even if you make a report in error. Those rules are in place to discourage people with a grudge from using CPS as a weapon. “Typically where we see that is a neighbor or someone who has a vendetta who calls repeatedly to make false allegations,” says Smith. If you’re calling CPS with a serious suspicion that wasn’t actually a problem, you won’t face a penalty.

What Legislation Is There About Calling Child Services?

Federal legislation gives a general definition of abuse, but some critical details vary from state to state. Although you might not know those details, the trained social worker responding to the call certainly will.

“A common example would be that in some places if a child witnesses domestic violence, that’s considered child abuse and neglect,” says Smith. “In other states, witnessing domestic violence doesn’t constitute child abuse or neglect.”

So even if you find out that what you saw doesn’t meet state criteria, you should still call and let social services figure it out.

This article was originally published on Jan. 18, 2017

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Anyone can make a report (and may do so anonymously), when they suspect child abuse or neglect. Find out how to report on this page. Get more information about child abuse and neglect.

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General Public

Call 311 in NYC or the New York State Central Register (SCR) directly at 1(800) 342-3720 . If the child is in immediate danger, call 911 .

When making a report, you will be asked for information to help identify and locate the child or parents/persons legally responsible for child, such as:

• Name and address of the child and family members.
• Child's age, sex, and primary language.
• Nature and extent of the child's injuries.
• Type of abuse or neglect, including knowledge of prior history of abuse or neglect of the child or siblings.
• Any additional information that may be helpful.

If the SCR believes the report warrants an investigation, the SCR will direct ACS to begin a child protective investigation.

Learn What Happens When You Make a Report

Mandated reporters are certain professionals mandated by New York State law to report suspected child abuse and neglect to the state hotline, the New York State Central Register (SCR).

Who Are Mandated Reporters? (PDF)

Mandated Reporters should call 311 in NYC or call the SCR's Mandated Reporter hotline directly at 1(800) 635-1522 . If the child is in immediate danger, call 911 .

If the SCR believes the report warrants an investigation, the SCR will direct ACS to begin a child protective investigation..

After calling the SCR, mandated reporters must also submit a written report.

If you are a mandated reporter, follow these steps to complete the written report: Submit a signed mandated reporter form within 48 hours of making an oral report. Mail the completed form to the ACS Borough Office where the child resides.

Download the mandated reporter form (LDSS-2221A) or visit your local Child Protection Borough Office. Find your ACS Borough Office.

If you have questions about making a report or would like to follow-up with a report you made, visit the Mandated Reporter page.

Mandated Reporter Decision Tree (PDF)

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Report child abuse

If you’re worried that a child or young person is at risk or is being abused contact the children’s social care team at their local council .

You’ll be asked for your details, but you can choose not to share them.

Call 999 if the child is at immediate risk.

If it’s not an emergency, you can report the crime online or call 101.

Calls to 999 or 101 are free.

What to report

Child abuse includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and neglect. You can read more about the signs of child abuse .

You don’t need to be sure that a child or young person has been abused - it’s OK to report a suspicion.

What happens when you report it

The person who answers your call will decide what to do. For example, they might:

• gather more information
• ask a social worker to look into it
• contact the police, if they think the child is at immediate risk or a crime has been committed

The children’s social care team will tell you what happens next, but they will not be able to give you any confidential information.

Contact the NSPCC if you want to discuss your concerns and get advice.

NSPCC (for adults) Telephone: 0808 800 5000 Find out about call charges

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In addition to making a report to law enforcement, anyone, including a child, who suspects child abuse or neglect, can make a report to Children’s Protective Services by calling 855-444-3911. In addition, the Child Protection Law requires certain professionals to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Review the Mandated Reporters  section of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website for more details.

Reports must meet the following three criteria to be assigned for investigation at Children’s Protective Services:

• The alleged victim is under 18 years of age.
• The alleged perpetrator is a parent, legal guardian or other person responsible for the child's health and welfare.
• The allegations minimally meet the child abuse and neglect definitions in the Child Protection Law.

Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect made to Children’s Protective Services will either be:

• Assigned for investigation;
• Rejected; or
• Transferred to another agency for investigation, such as law enforcement or the Bureau of Child and Adult Licensing.

For more information visit the Children’s Protective Services section of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website. 

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Contact the NSPCC Helpline

You can contact the NSPCC Helpline by  calling 0808 800 5000 ,  emailing [email protected]  or  completing our report abuse online form .

Due to an increase in demand across our service,  our voice Helpline is currently available 11am–6pm Monday to Friday .  You can still  email [email protected]  or  complete our report abuse online form  at any time for free.  You don’t have to say who you are. 

If you think a child is in immediate danger, please  call the police on 999  straight away.

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Our voice Helpline is currently available 11am–6pm Monday to Friday. You can still email [email protected] or complete our report abuse online form at any time for free. If you think a child is in immediate danger, please call the police on 999 straight away.

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An estimated 1 in 20 children have experienced sexual abuse. And child sexual abuse is under-reported by adults. It's time for that to change.

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You can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000 , emailing  [email protected]  or completing our report abuse online form .

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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide . Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Anonymous report to social services

Dancemagicdance42 · 26/09/2020 14:19

Hi. Im worried about someone I care about.. Can I report anonymously to social services. Will they be able to trace a phone call or email?

Whats your worry. Are they in danger. How old are they.

Worried about a child and their mother. They are in imminent danger and police can't do anything. That's all I can say. The child is 3.5 years old.

No they won't. You should definitely report.

What do you mean by imminent danger? At this point calling SS may not be wise if it's going to alert the family that someone is watching out, but theres not evidence that there is something wrong. You may well be better off talking to the mum and helping her get in touch with womens aid and get out of there, dependent on the situation of course.

Yes, you can report anonymously to the children's services. They won't be able to trace you and they won't be able to tell the family who provided the information for the referral. But you won't be told if they choose to take any action.

Why can police not help? If they are in imminent danger they are the only people that can help.

Call the police if they are in imminent danger. Why do you think they can't do anything. You can also call childline. Are the mum and child able to leave safely and fet to somewhere safe.

Hard to say without knowing what is happening ? But if they are in danger why can’t the police help ?

Yes you can report anonymously - you can call the duty social worker on the help desk number on your council's website. Tell them why you think the police won't help.

You may well be better off talking to the mum and helping her get in touch with womens aid and get out of there, dependent on the situation of course. That is not good advice, given that the mum would presumably be taking action herself if she either recognised the danger or felt capable of changing it. There's also every chance that if you subsequently report it, they blame you. Better to let her know gently you support her, never say you'll report (or lie about not reporting) then call the police if it's urgent, or.otherwise NSPCC or social services anonymously.

If its to do with domestic violence can you call women's aid to get some advice? I have a friend who works for a women’s refuge and she often has to post advice on social media contradicting some of the popular advice, it’s a far more complicated situation than you think.

If they are in immediate danger then police have more powers than social services.

That is not good advice It obviously depends on the situation, but it is sound advice actually. Alerting a potentially dangerous person to the fact the family is being watched could drive them to isolate the mother and child. If, for example, the guy is making threats, social services show up, they deny it, SS mark it as a malicious call, then nobody is any better off and they will have none looking out for them. Quietly supporting the mother and child to leave would enable the op to keep an eye on the situation, and help. It's all speculation just now, and nobody can give proper advice because we dont know the situation, but sometimes its not best to dive in reporting things right away as it could cause more problems than it solves if theres nothing very obviously wrong.

If they are in imminent danger does it matter if they know who called social services? I don’t know the situation but it doesn’t seem like there is a good alternative to calling and getting help.

If they are in imminent danger does it matter if they know who called social services? It does if the bloke is violent, has violent friends, and you are a single elderly lady living next door and terrified. Or if you're a teenager reporting your own parent. Any number of reasons.

Imminent danger? You call 999 not post on MN. Do you know what imminent means?

Imminent danger is 999, all the Safeguarding training I have done makes this very clear.

You should call social services. They will undertake a multi agency check, school, hv etc. The victim may deny the abuse but it is logged. Any further information received after this of further concern/ incidents increases the concerns. The child, child’s nursery and wider family maybe contacted depending upon the nature of the referral. If you are concerned for their safety make the referral. If the women goes to women’s aid, they will also make the referral to keep the child safe. This is statute under The Children’s Act and Working Together.

Womens aid don't automatically make a referral to SS at all, and it's pretty dangerous to state that as fact. That will potentially put someone in a dangerous situation off calling for help. Any referrals are made on a case by case basis. Social services also don't always do a multi agency check either. Sometimes it's simply a letter or a call or a quick visit. It's all totally dependent on the situation which op hasn't clarified.

Yes you can make an anonymous report. I don't know if it's the same for all local authorities but mine still have to take your contact details. They do give assurances that your details won't be shared though. If you think that a child is in danger then you must report it to someone.

I would like to report a man of 83 who has dementia, his step son is in his 40:s who is a paranoid scitaphrenic and the wife is in her late 60:s. They are my my neighbours and living in a one bedroom flat which is VERY small. She cant cope but refuses to say so. Her son has been sectioned twice over the last year or so, once for punching his step farther and kicking the tv in. The other episode, im not sure about but i know he was away in a phyc unit for a week or so. Do you think that this is a healthy life living in each others pockets like that?? Im sure its against the law for 3 adults living in a 1 bedroom flat.

You can raise sageguarding online with local authority. but for information, this is an old thread

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What went wrong? How did Secret Service allow shooter to get so close to Trump?

Investigations into the sniper shooting that injured Donald Trump and killed a local firefighter must focus on whether several key Secret Service protocols were violated, current and former law enforcement officials said Sunday.

Chief among them: Why wasn't a building well within 1,000 yards of the former president locked down enough to prevent the shooter from nearly assassinating the presumptive GOP presidential nominee?

In an exclusive interview, former Secret Service Director Julia Pierson told USA TODAY that maintaining such a sniper security perimeter is part of the agency's responsibility for safeguarding "protectees" like Trump from harm. Yet the man identified as the sniper, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks , fired off numerous rounds from a building top about 150 yards from Trump's lectern at Saturday's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“I think 1,000 yards is the sniper capability that we have a concern about for the President. So anything that's within that range, that is a professional, makable shot... and you want to know about it,” Pierson said.

“When you think about it, it's a football field and a half … and that is a makeable shot by an individual.  And obviously an inch would have made a difference in this case and Trump wouldn't be with us,” said Pierson, who spent three decades with the Secret Service, much of that on presidential protective operations, before becoming director in 2013.

Crooks managed to fire off numerous rounds , injuring two other people in the crowd, before being killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper sharpshooter from another nearby roof. On Sunday evening, the FBI clarified that Crooks had used an "AR-style 556 rifle ."  

Rep. Ruben Gallego, a former Marine and Arizona Democrat, said that those "responsible for the planning, approving and executing of this clearly insufficient security plan need to testify before Congress and be held accountable."

"There should never have been a clear line of sight on the former president. My Marine Corps training taught me that,” said Gallego, an Iraq veteran who is running for Senate in Arizona.

President Joe Biden also weighed in, directing Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to review all security measures for the Republican National Convention, which begins Monday in Milwaukee. He said he had ordered an independent review of the security measures taken at the Trump rally to "assess exactly what happened."

First assassination attempt against a former or current President in 43 years

The shooting marks the first assassination attempt against a former or current U.S. president since President Ronald Reagan was injured in a March 1981 shooting at a Washington, D.C. hotel. Before that, in 1975 a member of the Manson Family cult tried to shoot President Gerald Ford at close range in Sacramento, California but failed to chamber a round into the gun.

The Secret Service has confirmed that it is investigating how a gunman armed with an AR-style rifle was able to get close enough to shoot and injure Trump in what appears to be an epic failure of one the agency's primary duties of protecting VIPs. The FBI, state police and the U.S. Congress also will be seeking to answer the many swirling questions.

Some of those questions: How did Donald Trump’s would-be assassin gain a high-ground vantage point to fire off a potentially fatal head shot against the former president? Why didn’t Secret Service counter-sniper teams neutralize Crooks before he got off so many rounds from his high-powered rifle, killing one Trump rally-goer and injuring two others?

Also, if Crooks had been flagged by local authorities for acting suspiciously as some media have reported, why was he then able to climb atop a nearby building with a rifle, firing a shot that grazed Trump's ear? And why did Secret Service agents allow Trump to stand back up defiantly and do three fist-pumps when it wasn't clear that the threat had been fully neutralized?

Could this have been stopped before it started?

John Miller, a former senior FBI and New York Police Department official, said on CNN that Crooks had been observed acting suspiciously near the magnetometers, or metal detectors stationed outside the event by local law enforcement agencies.

Those officials then shared those concerns with the Secret Service and other authorities “and people had his description and were looking around for him,” said Miller, who’s currently a CNN analyst.

At some point, Miller said, Crooks “left the magnetometer area. And then at some point, people start to point out there's a guy who's climbing on that roof, and he has a rifle and police are putting that over the radio.”

According to some video and media reports, the Secret Service counter-sniper on a nearby rooftop was aiming at the shooter, perhaps before he took some or all of his shots.

“The counter sniper appears to be looking through his scope as if he's scanning for something. … And then, when the shots are fired, takes out the shooter from his position almost immediately,” said Miller, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism until 2022. “So we have to fill in those gaps. What happened during those seconds? What were the communications? What did he see through the scope, and did he act at his first opportunity? And we'll learn that later.”

Miller said the counter-sniper succeeded in eliminating the threat quickly. “That part worked,” he said. But, he added, “What about the front end? Could this have been stopped with faster or more clear communications or a more intense search?”

Investigations have already begun

It’s possible and even likely that the Secret Service security plan for the rally, in conjunction with local and state authorities, took into consideration the building from which Crooks allegedly sprayed bullets. It could have been locked down from the inside, prompting Crooks to have to climb to the roof from the outside as part of the security plan put in place by authorities before the rally.

But the entire sequence of events will be investigated to find out what went so wrong that Crooks was able to gain access to the roof of the building, including whether he might have surveilled the site ahead of time to find the best way up, according to current and former law enforcement officials.

William Pickle, a former special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Vice Presidential Protective Division who oversaw Vice President Al Gore’s detail, said there are provisions in any Secret Service security survey that nearby buildings are accounted for. The Secret Service regularly secures public areas such as parade routes peppered with large buildings, and advance teams interview building owners and business managers to determine who has access to the building and at what times to determine if agents need to stand watch.

“We know who’s there, why they’re there, we have control over those buildings,” Pickle said. “It seems like somewhere in this security survey, someone dropped the ball on those particular buildings.”

Though Pickle said the counter-sniper that took out the shooter did an “outstanding” job, he questioned if the Secret Service had posted additional counter-sniper teams to sufficiently cover the entire event perimeter. “A gunshot knows no boundaries except by the velocity and distance a bullet can travel,” Pickle said. “This was a relatively easy shot, and Donald Trump may have been the luckiest man in the world yesterday. He survived by about half an inch."

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told USA TODAY on Sunday that he was traveling to Milwaukee, the site of the upcoming Republican National Convention, and would not be in a position to talk until later in the day. At 2 p.m., he said he was still "unable to respond" to claims that the Secret Service made mistakes in allowing the shooter to gain such a close vantage point.

Three hours later, another senior Secret Service official also declined to comment on whether the agency failed in its mission to protect Trump at the Saturday rally.

“Any questions regarding yesterday’s event can be directed to our public affairs office out of DC,” said Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, the agency’s coordinator for the upcoming Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Speaking at a news conference there, she said she could only discuss convention security measures.

In a news conference early Sunday morning, the FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office, Kevin Rojek, had confirmed that the FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting and that it “is our assessment at this time” that law enforcement did not know the shooter was on the roof until he began firing.

“It is surprising,” Rojek said when asked about the gunman’s close vicinity to the rally. He said that proximity is among the details that will be a focus of the investigation. Rojek added: “The Secret Service really needs to answer that question. They conduct the initial site survey.”

At the midnight news conference, State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens had deferred questions about whether there was anything about the venue that made it particularly difficult to secure by the Secret Service, which did not have representatives at the televised briefing.

Bivens also said he would not speculate on “how close a call” it was for Trump.

But Bivens confirmed that law enforcement is following up on a “number of suspicious occurrences” including accounts from witnesses who said they tried to flag police about the activity of a person outside the rally moments before the shooting.

Calls for answers from both sides of the aisle

Sen. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican who chairs the House Oversight committee, was one of several lawmakers who called for an immediate investigation into potential lapses by the Secret Service.

Comer said in a statement that he has already contacted the Service Service for a briefing and he called on Cheatle – the director – to testify about what went wrong. His committee will send a formal invitation soon, Comer said.

"Political violence in all forms is unamerican and unacceptable," Comer said in his statement. "There are many questions and Americans demand answers."

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat, also called morning for an urgent investigation to explain what happened. Several hours later, however, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, also a Democrat, sidestepped a question at his own news conference about potential Secret Service failures in preventing the shooter from climbing atop the building.

"I'm not getting into ... any questions regarding the ongoing investigation," Shapiro said. "I trust that the FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police will keep you posted throughout the day and in the days ahead as to their investigations."

Contributing: Melissa Brown, a state political reporter at The Tennessean in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Anonymous messaging app targeting teens: Read the disturbing allegations in FTC and Los Angeles DA action against NGL

An anonymous messaging app marketed to kids and teens: What could possibly go wrong? A lot, allege the FTC and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office . A complaint against NGL Labs and founders Raj Vir and Joao Figueiredo alleges violations of the FTC Act, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA), the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), and the California Business and Professions Code. The company also made AI-related claims the complaint challenges as deceptive. The $5 million financial settlement merits your attention, but it’s the permanent ban on marketing anonymous messaging apps to kids or teens that’s particularly notable. 

Among the most downloaded products in app stores, the NGL app is named for the text shorthand for “Not Gonna Lie,” but based on the complaint allegations, it could stand for “Not Gonna be Legal.” The app purports to allow users to receive anonymous messages from friends and social media contacts. The defendants expressly pitched it as a “fun yet safe place” for “young people” to “share their feelings without judgment from friends or societal pressures.” For parents wary of their kids’ use of an anonymous messaging app, the defendants assuaged their concerns by touting “world class AI content moderation” that enabled them to “filter out harmful language and bullying.” Consumers who downloaded the app were prompted to create an account that collected a substantial amount of personal information, but NGL didn’t ask how old they were and didn’t use any form of age screening. 

You’ll want to read the complaint for details, but in general terms, app users could post pre-generated prompts to their social media accounts like “Send me a pickup line and I’ll tell you if it worked” or “Share an opinion that’ll get you cancelled” which allowed viewers of the prompts to write an anonymous message in response. In addition, many users received anonymous messages like “are you straight?” “I’ve had a crush on you for years and you still dont know lmao,” and “would you say yes if I asked you out – A.” When a recipient opened the message, a button appeared inviting the person to find out “Who sent this?” with a paid NGL Pro subscription. Eager to learn the sender’s identity, many recipients clicked on that button. 

That’s the briefest summary of what NGL told users and parents, but a closer look at the six-count complaint reveals what the FTC and the Los Angeles DA’s Office say was really going on behind the scenes.

The FTC challenges the defendants’ marketing of its anonymous messaging app to children and teens as an unfair practice. According to the complaint, defendant Figueiredo urged employees to get “kids who are popular to post and get their friends to post” and noted that the “best way is to reach out” on Instagram “by finding popular girls on high school cheer pages.” As another NGL executive observed, “We need high schoolers not 20 something[s].” But for any parent of a teenager – or anyone who’s been a teenager – the inevitable consequences of an anonymous messaging app targeting teens wouldn’t be hard to predict. As one high school assistant principal told the defendants, students were using the app to send “threatening” and “sexually explicit content” that was “significantly affecting the mental health and well-being of our students.” According to the complaint, NGL received numerous reports of cyberbullying, harassment, and self-harm and yet chose not to change its marketing strategy or how its product operated. 

In addition, the FTC and the Los Angeles DA’s Office allege the defendants used multiple misrepresentations to push their app. For example, many of those anonymous messages that users were told came from people they knew – for example, “one of your friends is hiding s[o]mething from u” – were actually fakes sent by the company itself in an effort to induce additional sales of the NGL Pro subscription to people eager to learn the identity of who had sent the message. But even after receiving numerous complaints describing the anonymous messages as “invasive,” “anxiety inducing,” and “hateful,” NGL’s in-house response was nothing short of gleeful. The complaint cites the following comment from defendant Figueiredo: “These ppl addicted . . . there’s people sharing the [NGL App link] EVERY day and all they get is fake questions 😂.” 

The FTC and the Los Angeles DA’s Office say NGL’s promise to parents to protect kids through the use of “world class AI content moderation” proved misleading, too. According to the complaint, the company’s much vaunted AI often failed to filter out harmful language and bullying. It shouldn’t take artificial intelligence to anticipate that teens hiding behind the cloak of anonymity would send messages like “You’re ugly,” “You’re a loser,” “You’re fat,” and “Everyone hates you.” But a media outlet reported that the app failed to screen out hurtful (and all too predictable) messages of that sort.

What’s more, even if users upgraded to NGL Pro, they still wouldn’t be told who sent the message, rendering that claim deceptive, too. But that wasn’t the only problem with the defendants’ practices. According to the complaint, consumers who clicked on the "Who sent this?" button were not clearly told that this was a recurring negative option – not a one-time purchase – and that defendants would charge them $9.99 (and later $6.99) per week for NGL Pro.

The defendants were well aware of consumer complaints about unexpected charges and the ineffectiveness of the “Who sent this?” feature. Even Apple warned the defendants that their product “attempts to manipulate customers into making unwanted in-app purchases by not displaying the billed amount clearly and conspicuously to the users.” How did the defendants respond? In a text discussion with defendants Vir and Figueiredo, NGL’s Product Lead succinctly summarized the company’s reaction to consumer complaints: “Lol suckers.” According to the FTC, the defendants’ use of an online negative option to hype sales of their NGL Pro app violated ROSCA , which requires companies that sell products online with negative options to clearly and conspicuously disclose all material terms of the transaction before obtaining the consumer’s billing information and to get the consumer’s express informed consent before making the charge.

The FTC also says the company collected and indefinitely stored users’ personal data, including their Instagram and Snapchat usernames and profile pictures, information about their location, and their browsing history. The lawsuit alleges the defendants violated the  COPPA Rule by failing to provide proper notice to parents, failing to get verifiable parental consent, and failing to provide a reasonable way for parents to stop further use of or delete the data of kids under 13.

The complaint also alleges multiple violations of California consumer protection laws. 

The proposed settlement includes a $5 million financial remedy – $4.5 million for consumer redress and a $500,000 civil penalty to the Los Angeles DA’s office. But most importantly, the order bans the defendants from offering anonymous messaging apps to kids under 18. How long will that ban be in place? Forever. 

Among other things, the settlement requires the defendants to implement an age gate to prevent current and future users under 18 from accessing the app and mandates the destruction of a substantial amount of user information in the defendants’ possession. In addition, the defendants must get consumers’ express informed consent before billing them for any negative option subscription, must provide a simple mechanism for cancelling those subscriptions, and must send reminders to consumers about negative option charges.

What guidance can other companies take from the settlement?

The FTC will use all of its tools to protect both kids and teens. Certainly COPPA is (and will remain) an important tool for protecting kids under 13 and for ensuring that parents – not tech companies – remain in control of children’s personal information. But this action also reinforces the FTC’s concern about information practices that pose a risk to teenagers’ mental and physical health.

Don’t tout your company’s use of AI tools if you can’t back up your claims with solid proof. The defendants’ unfortunately named “Safety Center” accurately anticipated the apprehensions parents and educators would have about the app and attempted to assure them with promises that AI would solve the problem. Too many companies are exploiting the AI buzz du jour by making false or deceptive claims about their supposed use of artificial intelligence . AI-related claims aren’t puffery. They’re objective representations subject to the FTC ‘s long-standing substantiation doctrine.

There’s nothing “LOL-worthy” about ROSCA violations. For decades the FTC has used both the FTC Act and the  Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act to fight back against illegal negative options. According to the complaint, the defendants enticed teens with anonymous questions like “would you say yes if I asked you out” and then presented them with that hard-to-resist “Who sent this?” button without clearly explaining that the company was enrolling them in a negative option subscription and charging them every week. That the defendants used this illegal bait-and-switch tactic against teens and then laughed about it adds brazen insult to the financial injury they inflicted.  

• Consumer Protection
• Bureau of Consumer Protection
• Online Advertising and Marketing
• Advertising and Marketing Basics
• Payments and Billing
• Children's Privacy
• Consumer Privacy
• Artificial Intelligence

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What possible good or benefit could derive to people from using this--to adults, to teens, to children--to ANYONE except to line the pockets of the scornful, amoral developers of this horrible technology?

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