Ask.fm, The Social Network Linked To Teen Suicides, Is Moving To Ireland

Social networking site Ask.fm, linked to widespread bullying and several teen suicides, is moving to Ireland, the Financial Times reports.

Ask.fm, the Latvian social network which allows users to post anonymous questions and answers, was bought by Barry Diller's US-based IAC Group through Ask.com in August - and is set to relaunch from the company's Dublin HQ.

The site's founders, brothers Ilja and Mark Terebin, who claimed to have been bullied by the media, were ousted from Ask.fm as part of its acquisition.

Since Ask.fm was launched in 2010 it has been continually criticised for being a platform for online abuse.

In 2013 Business Insider said it had about 65 million users, half of which were under 18, and as of last year nine teenagers who were connected to the website had committed suicide.

British Prime Minister David Cameron commented on the saga after Ask.fm was accused of not doing enough to deal with cyberbullying.

But new CEO Doug Leeds has claimed that cyberbullying will be a thing of the past, with the owners investing "millions" into improving welfare standards and signing an improved safety agreement, according to the BBC.

And as well as updating its policies and terms of service, the Financial Times says Ask.fm will also have a "law enforcement affairs officer" at its disposal to help the company deal with the police.

IAC, which owns dating app Tinder as well as OkCupid, has reportedly brought in Annie Mullins from the UK government's child protection task force, and Yahoo's former safety expert Catherine Davis Teitelbaum.