Some Factoids About Vero and Why it’s Dumpster Fire
Opened an account on Vero recently? It’s about time you go and start looking for a way to deactivate your account because not only is that social media site “glitchy as hell”, it also has a terrible, terrible past.
Some positive “spins” on Vero as an app…
It’s described as an ad-free application that ‘lets users share photos, add links, and recommend books, movies and TV shows to friends.’ It also bills itself as “a social network “that lets you be yourself”.
That spin alone has made Vero skyrocket from number 99 to number 1 on Apple UK’s store; perhaps because people are tired of conglomerates owning social media (i.e. Facebook and Instagram).
The app was launched by billionaire businessman Ayman Hariri in 2015 as a response to his frustration with many adverts that appear on websites like Facebook and Twitter. Hariri is also the son of Rafik Hariri, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, so you know where they got the funding.
Sounds amazing right? But aside from the problematic UX and UI the app has had recently, the app’s founder also had screwed over Filipinos. And it’s not a smalltime con either. It was a big time pooping in the head.
welp Vero was fun until i realized their CEO stopped paying salaries to 9,000 Filipino workers at his previous construction company rendering them essentially homeless and reliant on food donations. peace ✌🏼
— tyler hansen (@_heyheytyler) February 27, 2018
Vero’s founder has ties to the construction firm Saudi Oger that closed down and left thousands of employees including Pinoy OFWs without salary to send home to their family.
Resibo: http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/08/18/16/abandoned-workers-wont-leave-saudi-without-pay
Two more things you need to know about Vero.
It wants to get away with your IP and creations under a shady pre-text that when you upload your stuff (photos, videos, artworks) they all can be used without royalty (or credits) by Vero for whatever means and purposes.
oh and this. (from @tina’s IG story) pic.twitter.com/LaiwlLSbta
— tyler hansen (@_heyheytyler) February 27, 2018
Secondly, if you want to delete something uploaded to Vero, you need to create an account.
lol it gets better, you have to create an account/password to submit a formal written request to delete your account. we’ll see if they ever even get to it because of the “huge sign up requests and trouble keeping up.”
— tyler hansen (@_heyheytyler) February 27, 2018
Removing content is one thing, having the app store your information on their database seems worse. It’s pretty much out of the frying pan and into the fire. Only the fire would expose your information to be sold as leads or data.
Bottomline – VERO is bad. Facebook’s an abomination right now with its shady business practices and invasive marketing approach but they did it with style and a bit of class (sorry, they’re still doing it right now). Vero looks like that creepy man with the tell tale signs that he’s up to no good.
