Vero: The replacement of Facebook?

Krishna Jaramillo March 25, 2018

251 3 minutes read

After the latest Facebook scandals, a new social network promises not to include advertising and encourage "real" interactions between authentic users

After Facebook leaked, by mistake, data of some 87 million users to the British consultancy Cambridge Analytica, affecting the presidential elections in the United States and the vote for Brexit in the United Kingdom, more and more people worry about security of your information on the Internet. Thus, new social networks seem to be popularizing by leaps and bounds between users seeking alternatives to leave Facebook, jump to the new application that will knock down Instagram or become the 'influencer' of the moment. Vero is the name of the application that in addition to allowing the publication of photos and videos also lets you share links and recommendations of music, movies, books or restaurants.

Leer en español: Vero: ¿El reemplazo de Facebook?

Although the popularity of Vero broke out a few weeks ago through Instagram users who announced the opening of accounts in the new platform, the app was launched in 2015. Its founder, Ayman Hariri, is a billionaire who has faced strong criticism for being involved in political altercations in which his father, Rafic Hariri, deceased former prime minister of Lebanon and who was accused of corruption during the occupation of Syria, would have been involved.

Despite the impasses and almost two years of total ignorance about the creation of the app, Vero achieved an accelerated popularity that aroused the interest of users. Last February in 24 hours got 500,000 downloads only on iOS operating systems in the US. However, the avalanche of downloads generated problems in those trying to register or upload a photo to the platform.

What does Vero do?

Vero seems to be a merger between Facebook and Instagram. It allows its users to upload photos and videos, but also share recommendations of restaurants, books, music and links. Within the application the contacts are divided IGNORE INTO categories: 'Friends', 'Intimate Friends', 'Known' and 'Followers'. For each of these segments, the user can use a different profile photo and choose which group can see a particular publication. However, what appears as an ideal classification alternative, seems to complicate those linked in the social network, since it puts them in trouble when labeling acquired friendships.

Unlike the 'ultra' positioned Facebook and Instagram, Vero claims to be a social network free of ads, promises to safeguard and not use the few data that asks the user at the time of registration, helps to control the excessive use of the application and proposes real and authentic interactions between those who use it. In order not to break its 'Ad Free' promise, Vero's developers indicate that eventually – without specifying when – the application will have a subscription cost, but users who have downloaded and created a profile during beta mode (in which they are still), they can use the social network without cost.

Due to the variety of publishing options that Vero supports, it allows the grouping of contents by collections, both their own, and those of friends or followers. However, this feature can make navigation and usability of the app complex. Therefore, it is less intuitive and as a result the user ends up abandoning it.

The dark interface and the "chaotic" timeline due to the variety of contents are two of the aspects most criticized by the first users of the network, most of them in the United States and Europe. It is expected that the application will continue to make corrections to improve the experience, although many of those who have already installed it call other users not to do so since they believe that the app will not take off. Still, another large portion of the digital population is confident that Vero will be the next Instagram and have managed to arrive in time to position themselves as 'early users' and influencers.