Is BeReal Safe?
The popularity of BeReal is on another level. After all, any app that tops the charts on TikTok needs to be taken seriously, especially when the app is so easy to use . You see the notification, take photos and share them with the app. But the question arises: does sharing photos of your current location put yourself in any danger every day? Is BeReal safe?
Status of BeReal in terms of privacy
To understand the impact of any application on privacy, we need to refer to its privacy policy. Fortunately, BeReal is relatively short , making it easy to see what data they collect and store.
BeReal tracks the date you signed up for the app, the date you last used the app, your latest BeReal, the time you post, and the use of RealMoji (the avatars you see when responding to posts). This isn’t all that shocking since most of this data is also available to anyone with access to your profile. It’s also unsurprising how it tracks your interactions with other users: BeReal keeps track of your friends, friend requests, your friends’ comments on BeReals, and the friends you chat with the most. If you give BeReal access to your contacts, it will save those contacts.
BeReal collects your device’s IP address, device type, application crashes and OS version. Sounds a little aggressive, but unfortunately it’s pretty standard. Everything you “create” with BeReal, the company collects. This includes photos, RealMojis and comments. It’s unclear if this also includes removed content, so be aware.
When it comes to geolocation data, things get a little more complicated. BeReal gives you the option to publish your location when posting to the app, as well as the ability to find your friends using the app. Because of these features, if you give BeReal permission to use your location, it can store your geolocation at any time, even if you don’t share your location in a post. To avoid this collection of location data, you must always deny BeReal access to your location.
The application also uses cookies to track your activity. These cookies are “essential” to help you stay logged into your account, analyze your activity for anonymous reporting in Google Analytics and Amplitude, and store your user preferences. If you choose to delete your account, BeReal will delete your data within 30 days. However, the company keeps backups that it regularly erases every 90 days, so it can take up to three months for your data to be completely removed from the platform.
BeReal states that it does not sell your personal data to third parties unless it has your consent. Please note that content, including photos and comments, is not subject to this rule. In fact, under the terms of service , you grant BeReal and its users a 30-year license to share and repurpose your content when published to the app. The post you shared today will be yours again in 2052.
Currently, using BeReal does not leak your personal information any more than other social media programs. In fact, it seems to be better than average if the company doesn’t actually sell your personal data to third parties, unlike other companies (I’m looking at you Meta and Google). It may help that BeReal is a French company, as the EU has stricter user privacy laws than other countries such as the US.
If you’re already comfortable with mainstream apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, you shouldn’t have too much trouble with BeReal.
BeReal in terms of personal security
The nature of BeReal makes it a fun way to share the more mundane aspects of your day with friends, but it also opens up potential security issues. After all, the whole idea is to report exactly where you are and what you are doing within two minutes of receiving the initial notification.
It’s not necessarily dangerous, especially when sharing with close friends. After all, it’s not much different than answering multiple “wyd” messages at once, truthfully.
However, BeReal is not just for sharing with close friends. You can add anyone you want to your circle, whether you know them or not. While it’s easiest to add contacts from your address book, you can find any user on the platform and ask to be their friend.
In addition, if you wish, you can share your BeReals with the entire community. Anyone can stumble upon these BeReals through the Discovery tab, where they can react, comment, and request a subscription to your account. They will also see any information you provide in the message. Obviously this includes any landmarks or defining features in your photo, as well as your location. Luckily, BeReal doesn’t let you share your exact location when posting to the Discovery page.
In order not to scare parents, but there is also a commenting system. This is not obvious to non-users at first because the chat does not appear until you respond to the message using RealMoji. However, once you respond, you can start commenting and chatting with other users.
The caveat to all of this is that you can only see other posts when you post BeReal yourself. But given that this is not a difficult task, this is not a good security check on the platform.
Security Tips on BeReal
I’m not here to tell anyone not to use BeReal. It’s a fun app, and it’s not particularly creepy in terms of user data. However, you should not use it with reckless recklessness. Whenever you use a service that allows you to publish your current location, you should be careful.
In my opinion, you should not use the Discovery feature when posting on BeReal. Sure, it’s fun to contribute to the community, but you really do show off. Unlike Instagram, where you can post your amazing New York trip as soon as you get home safely, BeReal shows you where you are right away, revealing your location to anyone who can see it. My advice is to share each post only with your friends.
Speaking of location, it’s best not to use it. If necessary, do not use your exact location, which will allow anyone who can see the photo to know your true coordinates. Using your general location will at least give you some cover, while at the same time revealing more about what you’re up to. You can read more about the difference between precise and approximate location in our guide here . As I mentioned earlier, this does not apply to posting to the Discovery page as BeReal only allows you to share your shared location.
I would also be meticulous about who I invite into my BeReal circle. I don’t think it’s a good idea to share your daily location with your entire contact list. Instead, I would only entrust this information to close friends, people to whom I would send these photos and places in DM or text without any problems. Of course, this is too cautious, but sometimes, in order to stay safe, you need to tread carefully.
However, BeReal can also be an app that promotes security, or at least confirms it. As Lifehacker managing editor Megan Walbert explained to me, some parents use the app as a “proof of life” for their college-age kids. They may not get a message or a phone call, but as long as their child posts their BeReal regularly every day, parents will know they are alive and well.
I can sympathize: my mother made sure my Skype status turned green so she knew I was okay. The point here, kids, is to call your parents.