BeReal is the authentic or enslaving app?

Apparently in the world of networks social nothing is forever. In the history of the internet there have been some networks that, despite having been very successful, have already disappeared. Such is the case of Myspace or Hi5; others that caused high expectations and were a total failure like Google +. Lately TikTok has grown like wildfire, so much so that characters like Minister Arturo Zaldívar or Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard are frequent video creators.

In each social network there is an opportunity to advertise and/or make a profit, that is the reason for creating them. In addition to this, it is essential to be aware of what the public wants or seeks. Today, among users there is a tendency for the more natural content, less produced, more attainable and less aspirational characters. Based on this premise, BeReal has arrived in our catalog of social networks.

BeReal is a social network, with its respective application for smartphones. It was created in France in 2020, by Alexis Barreyat, a former employee of the GoPro camera company, and Kevin Perreau, who worked in technology companies related to digital marketing.

The differentiator for BeReal is that it sends a notification to users, where they have two minutes to take a photo of what they are doing at that moment. No filters, no thoughtful poses, no wonderful settings. The instruction is: every day, at a random time, you must take a photo in less than two minutes.

Another feature of BeReal is that it uses both the front camera and the selfie camera to capture where the person is. In addition, it is possible to see the location of the photograph on the map.

When it was launched on the market, BeReal used influencer marketing to reach the young public, who were studying at universities (Generation Z). Currently in the Google Play store it has more than 10 million downloads and in the Apple app store more than 12 million.

The danger of BeReal

In its eagerness to show real people, with imperfections and not very exciting lives, this social network is also putting pressure on its users. The algorithm dictates when to upload content. The person no longer has the freedom to decide when to share something, it is literally a forced selfie.

Furthermore, providing a user’s location in real time can be dangerous. And according to the information published by the developers, BeReal collects the following data from its users, which is NOT encrypted, that is, it is not transferred through a secure connection:

• Name
• Phone number
• Activity in the app (including geographic location)

In conclusion, BeReal is an application that can be dangerous to use (more than others). And only time will tell us if it will be a short-lived success or not and with what consequences.

itzayana.rios@eleconomista.mx