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A European privacy rights group, noyb, has filed a complaint against the social media app BeReal, raising concerns over how it gets users to agree to being tracked.
BeReal, a popular app among Gen Z known for its candid selfie-sharing, was recently acquired by French mobile games company Voodoo. According to noyb, the app employs what they call “dark patterns” to nudge users into consenting. Essentially, when people open the app, a pop-up appears asking them to say “yes” or “no” to letting their personal data be used for ads, but noyb claims the design of this prompt is manipulative.
‘Dark patterns’ over how BeReal asks EU users to agree to tracking
Noyb claims that BeReal seems to be pushing users toward a specific choice. If you click “accept,” the consent banner disappears for good. But if you choose “reject,” you’re stuck seeing the banner every single day—until you finally cave and hit “accept.” This tactic of annoying people into giving consent is the latest example of what’s known as a “dark pattern.”
📝 Today, noyb filed a complaint against the social media platform BeReal.
If you dare to reject the tracking, the app's consent banner will appear every day – until the end of your days, or until you click on the “right” button and accept.https://t.co/knLbLe4fyl
— noyb (@NOYBeu) December 12, 2024
If these practices are found to violate Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), BeReal could face fines of up to 4% of its global annual revenue.
Lisa Steinfeld, noyb’s data protection lawyer, states: “BeReal’s nudging tactics are particularly absurd. When first confronted with the consent banner, users get the impression that the app actually respects their choice – only to find out that BeReal actually won’t take no for an answer. It is obvious that BeReal is trying to pressure users into consenting to tracking.”
To support its claim that BeReal’s approach violates GDPR, noyb refers to 2022 guidance from the European Data Protection Board. This guidance specifically calls out “dark patterns” in social media interfaces, including tactics like “continuous prompting.” The board warns that repeatedly asking users for consent can wear them down until they eventually give in, just to stop being annoyed every time they use the app.
BeReal faces challenges over popularity
The French social media app invites users to share a snapshot of themselves and their surroundings during a randomly selected two-minute window each day. Branded as the “anti-Instagram,” it launched in 2020, responding to a growing desire for more authentic content online.
ReadWrite reported that the app saw incredible success, racking up 53 million downloads by October 2022, according to Sensor Tower. However, its daily active users have taken a sharp dip, with Vogue reporting a drop from 20 million in October 2022 to just 6 million by March 2023.
ReadWrite has reached out to Voodoo for comment.
Featured image: Voodoo / BeReal
