Will New, 'Private' Networks Threaten the Social Media Establishment?

The big story in social right now concerns privacy…or the lack thereof. As Twitter sues the U.S. government over data collection and Facebook announces plans to release an “anonymity” app, other networks have attempted to use the controversy to get attention.

Ello is the obvious one; brands, “influencers” and bored users making fun of the same have already begun joining the “ad-free” network. Snapchat still says it’s more private than its competitors despite admitting that those initial claims weren’t quite accurate and agreeing to “start a wide-ranging privacy program that will be independently monitored for 20 years.”

Then there’s Netropolitan, “the online country club for people with more money than time” (yes, that is a real tagline).

So: