Sway.ly is an AI-powered safety app that helps families reduce exposure to harmful content on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Unlike blocking tools, it scans feeds for 36 types of damaging content, alerts parents, and guides children toward healthier online choices. The app is available on both Apple and Android devices.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Traditional parental controls and blocking tools fail to address subtle yet damaging content like misogyny, harmful beauty standards, and hate speech, which affects 79% of people. These tools cannot detect or mitigate the algorithmic amplification of such content, leaving families exposed to online harm that escapes conventional filters.
Solution
Sway.ly is an AI-powered app that actively scans social media feeds across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to identify and flag 36 types of harmful content across 11 areas. Unlike blocking services, Sway.ly alerts parents and children when risky content appears, explains why it may be harmful, and guides users to block, unfollow, or follow better content to retrain their algorithms. The app provides personalized insights and clear unfollow guidance, helping families build healthier online habits over time. By teaching safer choices rather than simply blocking, Sway.ly reduces overexposure to damaging content and fosters constructive conversations about online safety.
Target Audience
Primary customers are parents and carers of children and teens who use social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, and who want to actively manage their family's online safety without resorting to blocking tools.
Features
- AI-driven scanning of social media feeds for 36 harmful content types across 11 categories, including misogyny, racism, and body image issues
- Personalized alerts and explanations for both parents and children when risky content is detected
- Guided actions to block, unfollow, or follow better content, actively retraining social media algorithms
- Privacy-first design with encrypted, pseudonymised data and AI that is blind to personal identity, never scanning private messages
- Available on both Apple and Android devices, with one subscription covering unlimited device installs
- Monitors social media accounts directly, regardless of WiFi or mobile data, without needing installation on every device