If you’re considering using BeReal, you should know what the app’s privacy policy is like and what data the app collects from you.
This will help you better protect your identity and stay safe in the online world. So is the BeReal app safe for both adults and children or not?
Is BeReal safe? What to know about the app
BeReal collects your personal data to provide a good user experience but not as much data as some other social media apps. According to BeReal, its data policies comply with EU and French law. In accordance with its Terms of Use, BeReal does not share your personal information with third parties.
BeReal collects your personal data to provide a good user experience but not as much data as some other social media apps. According to BeReal, its data policies comply with EU and French law. In accordance with its Terms of Use, BeReal does not share your personal information with third parties
host, store, reproduce, modify, adapt, display, publish, edit, distribute and sublicense all or part of the Content for the purposes of providing the Application Services to its Users and conducting marketing, communications or commercial promotional activities For BeReal’s.
In case of a data breach, as we have seen with many social platforms in the past, your personal information can also be compromised. However, you may request the Platform via email for immediate deletion of your personal information.
Along with personal data, BeReal also collects your content and activity data. Content data includes your photos, comments, and RealMojis. Activity Data includes the type and timing of your IP connection, interactions with and engagement with BeReal’s services.
Another concern is that BeReal does not actively moderate the content on its platform. Calling itself a “hosting company” in its terms of use, BeReal only flags a problematic post when a sufficient number of users report it. This means that it is easy to come across inappropriate content, such as hate speech and NSFW media that you may not want to see.
Furthermore, geolocation is on by default on the platform. This means that your posts will be showing your location, and you might not even be aware of it. Someone can quickly track you down using your BeReal location, which can be a concern.
Geolocation is on by default, lack of content moderation, and 30-year content access rights have also been flagged by cyber security companies like Avast.
Luckily, BeReal hasn’t seen any data leaks yet, which a lot of other social platforms can say.
BeReal Risks to Be Aware of
You can add friends and family to grow your BeReal circle. Whenever you upload a picture, you can share it with your friends or publicly. If you choose the Friends option, only people on your friends list will be able to see the picture you uploaded. If you choose the Discovery option, anyone on BeReal can see your posts and use them as they see fit.
Sharing between friends is usually more secure than sharing on Search. But that’s when you add trusted people to your friend circle with whom you can safely share your photos while using BeReal.
When you take a picture on BeReal, it shows the location where you took it. So it is better to turn off the location-sharing feature on BeReal. When Location is off, only the timestamp is shown for the time the picture was taken.
If you want to prevent others from finding your location, avoid taking pictures at recognizable landmarks. This will help prevent manual tracking.
Is BeReal safe for children?
According to BeReal, you can create an account if you are at least 13 years old. Children under this age limit will need parental approval to open a BeReal account. The parent must first contact BeReal by email at [email protected]. The email must contain the name of the child and permission to open the account under parental supervision.
Children may not be aware of the additional steps to turn off the location-sharing feature. Hence, it is best to guide them in this regard. BeReal is much safer for kids than most other social media platforms. Its zero personal data sharing policy with third parties protects your child’s personal information.
Some risks are still involved for teens using BeReal, such as the lack of parental control features and the lack of active moderation. Therefore, it is advised that you supervise your children’s usage of the BeReal app.
Use BeReal with some precautions
While BeReal doesn’t have any security flaws, it can still pose a risk. Location sharing should be turned off unless you are comfortable letting others know where you are. You can use your real name instead of your real name to protect your identity.