Here’s Why Everyone Is Talking About Vero, The New Anti-Advertising Social Media App

Social media is more than ingrained into society. Wake up, check Instagram, make breakfast, check Facebook, brush your teeth, post a riveting thought on Twitter, get dressed, take mirror selfie for Snapchat... the list goes on. And now, it seems like we can add another social media app called Vero to that list — and, based off the way people are talking about it, it promises to be nothing like we've ever seen before. So, what is Vero? Simply put, it's a social media app that's a one stop shop for all of your interests, but the intent of the app actually goes much deeper than that.

As it turns out, the new social media platform isn't terribly new. According to Fast Company it first debuted in 2015. But we were all too busy taking photos of our avocado toasts to notice. On Feb. 23, however, that changed: Which is to say everyone noticed.The Daily Mail reports that it gained so many new subscribers that there was a temporary outage. So, why the sudden surge in interest?

It's fairly simple: According to the site's manifesto, not only do they not function with an algorithm — in other words, unlike other social media sites, users see posts on their feed from people as they were shared, as opposed in the order the app thinks they'll be interested in seeing them — but the app is completely ad-free, and Vero intends to rely on users to be their sole customers. Of course, this raises some questions as to how a company can stay afloat without ad revenue — but Vero's got that figured out. While they're offering free membership to the first one million users who create an account on the app, they'll be introducing annual payment plans to users after they hit that mark. (According to CNBC, it seems like this annual fee will only amount to "a few dollars," but no exact number has been released.)

I know — the thought of an annual fee for a social media site seems jarring at first, but when you think about it, it makes sense. Vero, which the site explains means "truth," is a subscription-based platform, and aims to be an extension of IRL social circles — aka, they want to focus on the content, not the ad space. Users can add contacts to a series of social groups — acquaintances, friends, and close friends — or they can follow a contact to simply see that person's public posts. Users can then choose what groups they share their content with, meaning that if you just want the people in your close friends group to see a post of yours, you can make that happen.

Vero's website describes the design as straight-forward: No ifs, ands, or ads. Their manifesto reads: "The feed is composed of your posts and the posts of people you're either connected with or people you follow. We don't curate it, manipulate it, insert advertising in it, or hold back posts. You see what has been shared with you, when it's been shared with you. You won’t have to pay to 'boost your post', or 'reach your audience.'"

On Vero, you're still able to connect with friends and share what's happening in your life from breakfast to engagements — just with a little more control. Vero's mission statement continues to read, "When you can control who sees what, you can behave in a way that is more natural, which we believe ends up being better for you."

Oh, and something worth noting? You can even link your Vero posts out to Facebook and Twitter. Yes, we can have it all when it comes to social media.

Vero is available on the app store and Google Play.