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New social network boasts privacy, better friendships

February 17, 2016   ·   0 Comments

It can sometimes be hard to believe that social media has only been an active part of people’s lives for the past decade.

With major social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more acting as a regular part of our lives, there has been much commentary and criticism over the impact it has.

A person’s ability to share as much as they want or as little as they want can have major impacts in all areas of our lives — something that was limited when our connectivity to our friends consisted of phone calls and in-person conversations. In many workplaces and industries, not having a Facebook or Twitter account can mean being overlooked for a job just as much as posting too many inappropriate or ‘TMI’* items can affect your employability.

Not having the right security settings, or adding the wrong people to your Facebook and Twitter can also mean information getting leaked that you were hoping wouldn’t, or accidentally saying something you wouldn’t want a specific person to know about.

With all of its benefits of connectivity and information sharing, sometimes, it can be just a little too much.

At least, that’s what the creators behind the new social media endeavour, Just10, believe. The network, launched earlier this month, was developed with the idea that social media can be used to develop greater intimacy and happiness on Facebook, as long as most of your ‘friends’ aren’t involved. The launch of the platform coincides with International Friendship Month, promoting privacy, free expression, and — as they proclaim — better friendships.

“One careless or ill-advised social media post can literally ruin your life or career, meaning many say little of substance in fear of recrimination,” explained the company in their press release. “Just10 protects you by allowing you to choose just 10 friends, and ensuring that all data disappears after 10 days. It will never make members’ data public-facing or searchable; it’s ad-free, and it will never sell or rent subscriber information.”

The platform promises to take free expression beyond the “Like” button, offering what they refer to as ‘Meactions”, which are commenting icons that allow users to express a range of emotions and responses to what people post. Along with their stock Meactions, the site does what they claim no others can do yet — allows for users to quickly and easily upload their own pictures to offer highly personalized and tailored responses and comments.

“We felt that it was impossible for people to freely express themselves if everyone in the world is watching and judging,” said Frederick Ghahramani, a privacy advocate and tech entrepreneur who led the group of programmers and developers responsible for the new social media site.

Part of the idea came from his concerns as a father, being aware that at some point, his own kids will be online and participating in the ‘social’ aspects of the internet.

“I don’t want my kids’ futures undone by something stupid they might say in the heat of the moment,” he explained. “And I want them to have a safe space online where they can freely express their ideas and opinions, without fear of being profiled and tracked by advertisers looking to exploit their data, hiring managers looking to profile their personalities, or even jealous exes.”

Social networks have come under scrutiny over the years with the sales of personal data for research, analytics and advertising, and with the increase in online fraud through these sites, billions of dollars are being lost every year in North America.

While Just10 is designed for anyone who wants the ability to share and post what they want to a select group of friends, its main goal is to be a platform for anyone who values privacy, such as parents who don’t want to put their children at risk, job-seekers, business people, activists, change makers, journalists, politicians, and celebrities.

“[It’s for] anyone else who might find that expressing a personal opinion or picture could come back to haunt them,” wrote the company in their release. “It’s also for anyone worried about their information being used against them by criminals through data breaches and fraud.”

While there might not be enough activity to sell people on this site just yet, the hilarious video released as part of their launch campaign might just be enough to pique one’s curiosity and check it out. The video, which can be viewed at http://js.tn/MeBL9A, highlights the dangers of oversharing on social media in a comical way.

For more information or to check it out, visit http://just10.com or download the Just10 app on Android and iOS.

By Tabitha Wells

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