New Delhi: In a matter of few days, Ello, a new social networking platform built on an anti-advertising, anti-data-mining, pro-transparency ethos, has become the hottest ticket on the Internet.
Created last year as a “private” social network, Ello (www.ello.co) recently opened its doors on an invitation-only basis. The platform, which is still in beta, has been described as the “anti-Facebook” for its stand on privacy and advertising.
The new social media platform is based in Vermont and has been launched by a group of artists and programmers led by Paul Budnitz, whose previous experience includes designing bicycles and robots.
Reports suggest that there has been strong demand for Ello memberships with invitations have been selling on eBay at prices up to $500. Due to an explosion in its popularity, the company is reportedly receiving as many as 35,000 people requesting membership invites every hour.
The company says Ello is getting so much attention precisely because it doesn't sell ads or consumer data to third parties.
“We've collectively come to the realization that the rise of social media has been accompanied by handing far too much power to far too few people, and there's energy to shake things up, even if just a bit.”
Its “manifesto” states: “We believe a social network can be a tool for empowerment. Not a tool to deceive, coerce, and manipulate — but a place to connect, create, and celebrate life. You are not a product.”
Taking aim at Facebook, it says: “Your social network is owned by advertisers.” “Every post you share, every friend you make and every link you follow is tracked, recorded and converted into data. Advertisers buy your data so they can show you more ads. You are the product that's bought and sold. We believe there is a better way.”
Ello's policy states that the practice of collecting and selling personal data and mapping your social connections for profit “is both creepy and unethical.”
“Under the guise of offering a ‘free' service, users pay a high price in intrusive advertising and lack of privacy.”
It manifesto ends with: “You are not a product.” Ello's founders have pledged that the site will never sell user data to advertisers, or introduce a paywall.
Budnitz says Ello wants its users to feel more like people and less like data points. He adds that the network is not geo-locating its users, stripping IP addresses, asking about names, or asking people about their sexual orientation.
Ello's rise also comes amid complaints against Facebook from the gay community that the world's biggest social network began disabling accounts using stage names instead of real names.
Ello states that it plans to remain “completely free to use” but that it could start offering some premium features for a fee.
According to its founder, Budnitz, they didn't expect the site to grow so quickly and are still developing its features. Ello has “really been embraced by the LBGT community,” as well as artists and performers, he says.
So far, Ello has received a $435,000 seed investment from FreshTracks Capital, a Vermont-based VC firm.
