The anonymous Q&A website Ask.fm has been acquired by IAC, which also owns Tinder, Ask.com and Vimeo.
Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. IAC has additionally made an agreement with the attorneys general of New York and Maryland regarding protective policies intended to stem cyberbullying through the site, TechCrunch reported.
A small startup based in Latvia, Ask.fm has been plagued with online bullying in recent months as teenagers began abusing the site's anonymity to cyberbully others. The Q&A site was listed as a factor in a number of teen suicides, something that proved detrimental to its reputation as parents heard the news and told their children not to use it.
Ask.fm was on PR lockdown for a while before introducing new policies intended to protect young users. While the negative press hurt its user base, the site still has around 180 million monthly users in more than 150 countries, according to TechCrunch. Of those users, 40 percent are younger than 18.
Under IAC's direction, Ask.fm plans to invest millions into improved safety policies that include reviewing user complaints within 24 hours and removing users after they have been cited in multiple complaints. The site will develop an online Safety Center, bring on a safety officer and establish an advisory board to oversee users.
Only those older than 13 will be allowed to use the site, and Ask.fm will introduce a tool for third parties or parents to report a child's account and ask that it be deleted.
"Ask.fm has seen phenomenal usage and engagement because of its compelling take on social expression: describing yourself through the lens of what others want to know about you," said Doug Leeds, chief executive of Ask.com, as quoted by The Telegraph.
"Now under Ask.com leadership, the plan for unlocking its true potential will focus on making the experience even more engaging, while significantly increasing the investment in safety."
Ask.fm users send around 20,000 questions a minute, with almost half of mobile monthly active users signing into the app daily.
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