Parents' Guide to Vero - True Social

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Common Sense Media Review

By Neilie Johnson , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Competitor to social giants appeals, needs improvements.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is not displayed.
  • Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.

What's It About?

VERO - TRUE SOCIAL is a social media app in direct competition with Facebook and Instagram. Claiming to let you "behave online like you do offline," the app claims not to filter your posts the way Instagram and Facebook do and lets you designate levels of privacy to each post: close friends, friends, acquaintances, or public. Facebook allows a similar choice, but this app features it. You can even have three different profile photos depending on friend level. The app contains built-in photo filters and collects your favorites in discrete categories such as photos, videos, books, and music. At present, the app is free to use and contains no in-app purchases; however, since it contains no ads or sponsored content, its paid subscription model could kick in at any time. 

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

This social sharing app claims to improve on the giants -- and there are some upgrades -- but there's potential for improvement. At the time of review, a surge in users has made Vero - True Social glitchy, so it will need to work out the technical issues to keep the users it has. The interface is easy on the eyes, and it automatically dates the things you've "liked" and sorts them into collections according to type. Best of all, it appears to give your followers the access you want rather than applying some incomprehensible filter to your posts like Facebook and Instagram do, and it's great not to wade through ads and sponsored content. Other than service issues, another downside right now to using Vero is having to request account deletion via email if you want out. As with other social media apps, teens can connect with people they don't know offline, and user-generated posts often contain mature content. Also, despite its claims of giving users total control, it appears to be just as invasive (wanting users' phone numbers, contacts, and location) as any of its social media competitors. You might be all right with that as long as the app remains free; you could change your mind if/when the app reinstates its monthly subscription fees. Finally, at the time of review, there's controversy around the CEO and past business practices, though he denies wrongdoing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about online privacy. Is there a difference between the sort of posts you share with your friends versus those you share with the public on apps like Vero - True Social? 

  • Discuss app ratings and age limits. Does your family adhere to app ratings guidelines? Why or why not? Why do they exist?

  • Think about when app subscription fees make sense. How important is privacy? Is it worth paying for? 

App Details

  • Devices : iPhone , Android
  • Pricing structure : Free (free at time of review, but might begin charging)
  • Release date : February 13, 2018
  • Genre : Social Networking
  • Publisher : Vero Labs, Inc.
  • Version : 1.0.19
  • Minimum software requirements : iOS 8.0 or later; Android 5.0 and up
  • Last updated : September 9, 2021

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