SNS “BeReal (BeReal)” from France is gaining worldwide popularity due to its mechanism of posting the present moment as it is in response to notifications once a day.
The appeal is that you can share real everyday life without processing or production, but on the other hand, “I'm worried about privacy” and “isn't BeReal dangerous?” There is also an increase in the number of voices saying that.
In fact, depending on the projection or handling of location information, there is a possibility that personal information not intended by the person himself/herself will be disclosed, and it is a service with many points to be aware of for SNS beginners.
In this article, I will explain everything from the basic structure of BeReal to possible dangers, points to be aware of from a privacy point of view, and tips for using it safely.
BeReal (BeReal) is an SNS service from France that has rapidly grown based on the concept of “everyday life as it is.”
Notifications are randomly sent only once a day, and photos are taken simultaneously within 2 minutes, and it has a characteristic mechanism not found in other SNS.
The appeal of BeReal is that you post yourself at that moment without repeated processing or creating a shining scene like other SNS, and users are spreading all over the world, mainly Gen Z.
The photos that will be posted
And so on, it really is everyday life itself. While this unadorned style is popular as being “realistic and safe,” the number of people who have concerns about privacy is increasing because it is easy to reflect the user's living environment.
It is precisely because of this background that concerns about the dangers of BeReal are increasing.
If you use BeReal well, you can enjoy it safely, but if you don't understand the characteristics of “forcibly shooting reality,” there is a possibility that unintended information will be disclosed.
BeReal has unique risks in that it “shows the reality of life as it is” compared to other SNS. Here, we'll organize the hazards you should pay particular attention to in an easy-to-understand form.
The biggest feature of BeReal is that the front and rear cameras shoot at the same time. While taking a picture of your own face from the front, the rear camera shows the scenery and interior of that moment.
There is a possibility that personal information is included even in parts that the person is not aware of, such as casual room backgrounds, computer screens, mail on walls, children's works, company materials, etc.
For example, if you're working from home, your work monitor may appear as it is. If you take a picture at a cafe, the faces of people around you may be reflected without permission.
Also, if it is a home, it is possible that the address can be inferred from the floor plan or living environment.
These are risks that are likely to occur because BeReal is an SNS that seeks real everyday life.
BeReal allows you to add location information to posts. Although it can be changed from setting to off, if location information is shared due to initial settings or operation mistakes, information such as home, workplace, range of action, etc. will naturally accumulate.
For example, if most of your posts are taken close to your home, you can guess that viewers live around here. If you continue to post during the same time period, there is a possibility that it will be read until your life cycle.
Female and student users are particularly anxious about this point, and much of the reason BeReal is dangerous is due to location information.
Since BeReal has the characteristic of capturing the moment a notification is received, it is not always possible to shoot in the best condition. When you're concentrating at work, when you're tired on the go, or even when the house is messy, when you get a notification, you'll take a picture of who you are now.
Of course, posting is not compulsory, but when the mentality of “friends are posting, so myself...” works, a sense of obligation may be created.
There is also a possibility that it is one of the causes of SNS fatigue unique to modern times, and there are also people who feel this is stressful.
BeReal posts are generally open to friends only, so it's easy to think that others won't see them. But it's easy to take a screenshot of the screen.
There is a possibility that information that the person does not want to show, the state of the room, the face of the family, etc. will spread to the outside depending on the other party's actions.
Most problems with SNS are caused by displayed information being unintentionally spread by third parties rather than the danger of the service itself.
BeReal is no exception, and just because you're friends doesn't mean you're completely at ease.
BeReal is an SNS with a relatively simple and secure structure, and it is designed to be easy to protect privacy if you understand the settings.
Basically, the posting range is only for friends, location information is optional, and there is no DM function. There seems to be less risk compared to other SNS, as past posts can only be viewed by the person himself/herself.
However, the essential risk that BeReal has is that users themselves will copy unexpected information. Settings cannot completely prevent this.
Therefore, in order to use it safely, it is essential to have a habit of checking the surroundings before posting. In particular, in households with telecommuting workers, students, and children, it is easy to reflect surrounding lifestyle information, so it is also effective to intentionally shift the timing of posting or choose not to take a picture even when a notification comes in.
BeReal is an SNS that “takes pictures of the present,” but you don't necessarily need to protect it every day.
BeReal is not a dangerous app. There is no DM function between users and the fact that the scope of disclosure is limited, so it has a relatively safe system in place for SNS, and it is designed so that contact with malicious users is unlikely to occur.
However, safety cannot be determined solely by the structure of an app. Now let's check it from a safety standpoint.
BeReal posts are structured so that only friends can see them from the initial settings, and they are not published to the whole world like Instagram or X.
Furthermore, since there is a follow-up approval system, the fact that it is difficult for unknown users to browse without permission is a major feature that enhances safety.
Since there is no mechanism to spread posts, there is little worry that even SNS beginners will be unnecessarily exposed to an unspecified number of people, and they can use it in a relatively closed space.
Bereal does not have a separate DM (direct message) function. On other SNS
There is such a problem, but in BeReal, that mechanism itself does not exist in the first place.
Since comments and reactions from users are also narrowed down to friends only, the risk of trouble with third parties is greatly reduced.
BeReal posts are not continuously accumulated on the timeline, and past posts can only be viewed as one's own archives (Memories).
Other users can't look back at your posts over time, so there's no need to worry about records of your life remaining forever on SNS. There is less risk that daily actions will be tracked, and it can be said that the design is more secure than other services from the viewpoint of long-term privacy protection.
BeReal (BeReal) is gaining popularity as a new SNS where real everyday life can be shared, but due to its characteristics, it is easy to expose privacy, and it is easy to understand why dangers are a hot topic.
However, the app itself is not dangerous, and the degree of risk changes depending on how the user uses it. Just be aware of basic measures such as turning off location information, checking the background, and not adding people you don't know to friends, and Bereal is an SNS that you can enjoy safely.
Sharing reality is a fun experience, but it's also true that privacy management is necessary behind that. Please refer to the contents of this article, keep in mind how to use it properly, and use BeReal with confidence.
