Badoo

Last updated
Badoo
Badoo.svg
Type of site
 Dating
Available in47 languages
Headquarters
London
,
United Kingdom
Country of originRussia
Owner Bumble Inc.
(formerly MagicLab) [1]
Created by Andrey Andreev
Parent Badoo Trading Limited
URL badoo.com
Commercial Freemium
RegistrationRequired
LaunchedNovember 2006;17 years ago (2006-11) [2]
Current statusActive

Badoo is a dating-focused [3] social network founded by Russian entrepreneur Andrey Andreev in 2006. [4] It is headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus and London, United Kingdom, [5] with offices in Malta, Russia and the United States. It operates in 190 countries [6] and is available in 47 languages, making it the world's most widely used dating network. [7] The app is available on iOS, Android, and the web. Badoo operates on a freemium model, whereby the core services can be used without payment.

Contents

History

Logobadoo.svg
First logo, used from November 2006–April 2017
Badoo - 2017 Logo 2.svg
Second logo, used from April 2017–June 2019
Badoo logo (new).png
Third logo, used from June 2019–February 2022
Badoo logo.svg
Fourth logo, used from February 2022–November 2023

Badoo was founded by Russian entrepreneur Andrey Andreev and launched in Moscow in November 2006. [8] It has since ranked among the most popular dating websites. [9] In 2016, it was the most downloaded dating app in 21 countries. [7] In 2011, Wired described Badoo as a "mass phenomenon" in Brazil, Mexico, France, Spain, and Italy. [10]

In 2007, Badoo raised $30 million in funding. [11] In January 2008, the Russian investor Finam Capital paid $30 million for a 10% stake in Badoo for expansion in Russia. [12] As of 2009, Finam now has 20% ownership of Badoo. [8]

Badoo was asked to adjust its approach after going viral on Facebook through popular social games and quizzes. [13] The official launch of Badoo in the U.S. was on March 23, 2012, with Nick Cannon introducing the service in the United States. [14]

In April 2017, Badoo launched a newly redesigned app and brand, adopting the colour purple and an orange heart symbol as its logo and the tagline "Bigger than Dating". Andreev discussed this redesign in an interview with Business Insider 's James Cook in the same month. [4]

In 2018, Badoo was the subject of a Forbes investigative report outlining workplace misogyny, illegal drug use, as well as sexual and racial discrimination. Thirteen Badoo employees reported a culture of workplace afterparties involving use of recreational drugs and prostitutes, along with several instances of sexual assault and harassment. An internal email list would circulate photos of parties and pornography of an employee. Technical updates were named after pornography performers. [15] [16]

Features

Badoo has several features that enable users to meet people. When they first sign up, individuals select whether they want to meet new people to date, chat or to make new friends. Users can chat, [17] match with others, upload photos and videos, as well as share their interests and see any friends in common.[ citation needed ]

The main features include:

Badoo has developed numerous safety features to ensure users are real and verified. Such features include the 'selfie request' button, [23] through which women can request a man they're speaking to send a 'selfie' to prove they are the same person as in the pictures. This 'selfie request' feature is only available to female account holders; it is unavailable to male Badoo users [24]

The company has also developed a photo verification process, where users upload a photo of themselves mimicking a specific pose. [25] This photo is then verified in a minute by one of Badoo's 5,000 moderators.

Badoo is a freemium service, where the basic service is free for everyone but users have an option to pay for premium features. Such features include, ‘Rise Up’, which allows users to pay to give their profile more visibility on the site for a limited time. In late 2007, 20% of Badoo's then 22 million users were paying for heightened visibility at least once a month. [26] However, according to The Economist , by 2011 only 5% of members were paying for the premium services. [27]

Users can also pay to have their profile photo more widely visible across the site. [10] "Super Powers" enables users to see more search results, as well as who wants to meet them and which of their messages have been read.

Criticisms

In a peer-reviewed study by Cambridge University in 2009, [28] it was given the lowest score for privacy among the 45 social networking sites examined. [29]

Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported that numerous Badoo profiles were created without people's consent, and that people have reported Badoo's actions to the police. [30]

According to Google's transparency report on the requests for search removals stemming from the "right to be forgotten" ruling, Badoo had the eighth-highest number of URLs removed from Google Search, with Facebook, YouTube, Google Groups and Twitter receiving a higher number of these requests. [31]

A CNET review by Rafe Needleman described Badoo's first impression as "creepy". He said that though the site was advertised as a way to meet local friends with shared interests, it was more like a photo-based dating site. He also said the way it matches users was "obscure". [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Hot or Not is a rating site that allowed users to rate the attractiveness of photos submitted voluntarily by others. The site offered a matchmaking engine called 'Meet Me' and an extended profile feature called "Hotlists". The domain hotornot.com is currently owned by Hot Or Not Limited, and was previously owned by Avid Life Media. 'Hot or Not' was a significant influence on the people who went on to create the social media sites Facebook and YouTube.

Mobile dating services, also known as cell dating, cellular dating, or cell phone dating, allow individuals to chat, flirt, meet, and possibly become romantically involved by means of text messaging, mobile chatting, and the mobile web.

This is a partial, non-exhaustive list of notable online dating websites and mobile apps.

Andrey Andreev is a multinational tech entrepreneur. He is known for founding the dating and social networking apps Bumble and Badoo, amongst others. In 2019, Andreev sold the apps' holding company, MagicLab, to Blackstone at a $3 billion valuation. In 2020, he founded social audio app Stereo. His previous ventures include SpyLog, Begun, and Mamba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoosk</span> Online dating service

Zoosk is an online dating service available in 25 languages and in more than 80 countries. The founders of the company are Shayan Zadeh and Alex Mehr, who ran the company until December 2014. After struggles that year, Kelly Steckelberg became the company's new CEO. In July 2019, Zoosk became part of Spark Networks SE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Instagram</span> Social media platform owned by Meta Platforms

Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters, be organized by hashtags, and be associated with a location via geographical tagging. Posts can be shared publicly or with preapproved followers. Users can browse other users' content by tags and locations, view trending content, like photos, and follow other users to add their content to a personal feed. A Meta-operated image-centric social media platform, it is available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and the web. Users can take photos and edit them using built-in filters and other tools, then share them on other social media platforms like Facebook. It supports 32 languages including English, Spanish, French, Korean, and Japanese.

Blendr was an online dating application based on geosocial networking for Android, iOS and Facebook. It is designed to connect like-minded people near to each other. It was created by Joel Simkhai and patterned after his previous app Grindr which is instead aimed at gay men. Blendr claims to be "powered by" Badoo but largely appears to be the same service. As of 2022, it had 200 million users worldwide and requires users to be over the age of 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WeChat</span> Chinese messaging, social media, and payment app

WeChat or Weixin in Chinese ; lit. 'micro-message') is a Chinese instant messaging, social media, and mobile payment app developed by Tencent. First released in 2011, it became the world's largest standalone mobile app in 2018 with over 1 billion monthly active users. WeChat has been described as China's "app for everything" and a super-app because of its wide range of functions. WeChat provides text messaging, hold-to-talk voice messaging, broadcast (one-to-many) messaging, video conferencing, video games, mobile payment, sharing of photographs and videos and location sharing.

Snapchat is an American multimedia instant messaging app and service developed by Snap Inc., originally Snapchat Inc. One of the principal features of Snapchat is that pictures and messages are usually only available for a short time before they become inaccessible to their recipients. The app has evolved from originally focusing on person-to-person photo sharing to presently featuring users' "Stories" of 24 hours of chronological content, along with "Discover", letting brands show ad-supported short-form content. It also allows users to store photos in a password-protected area called "my eyes only". It has also reportedly incorporated limited use of end-to-end encryption, with plans to broaden its use in the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tinder (app)</span> American online dating app

Tinder is an online dating and geosocial networking application launched in 2012. On Tinder, users "swipe right" to like or "swipe left" to dislike other users' profiles, which include their photos, a short bio, and some of their interests. Tinder uses a "double opt-in" system, also called "matching", where two users must like each other before they can exchange messages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telegram (software)</span> Cross-platform encrypted instant messaging service

Telegram Messenger, commonly known as Telegram, is a cloud-based, cross-platform, encrypted instant messaging (IM) service. It was originally launched for iOS on 14 August 2013 and Android in October 2013. It allows users to exchange messages, share media and files, and hold private and group voice or video calls as well as public livestreams. It is available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers. Telegram also offers end-to-end encryption in voice and video calls, and in optional private chats, which Telegram calls Secret Chats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Facetune</span> Mobile photo editing application

Facetune is a photo and video editing application used to edit, enhance, and retouch photos on a user's iOS or Android device created by Lightricks. The app is often used for portrait and selfie editing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitney Wolfe Herd</span> Founder and CEO of Bumble (born 1989)

Whitney Wolfe Herd is an American entrepreneur. She is the founder, executive chair, and former CEO of publicly traded Bumble, an online dating platform, launched in 2014. She is a co-founder of Tinder and was previously its Vice President of Marketing.

Bumble is an online dating and networking application launched in 2014. Profiles of potential matches are displayed to users, who can "swipe left" to reject a candidate or "swipe right" to indicate interest. In heterosexual matches, only female users can make the first contact with matched male users, while in homosexual matches either person can send a message first. The app is a product of Bumble Inc.

Looksery is an American software and photography company founded in 2013 by Victor Shaburov and Yurii Monastyrshin. The company is based in San Francisco and owned by Snap Inc. The company developed the Looksery application that does facial modification of photos in real time on mobile platforms.

Picsart is an Armenian-American technology company based in Miami, Florida, United States and Yerevan, Armenia that develops the Picsart suite of online photo and video editing applications, with a social creative community. The platform allows users to take and edit pictures and videos, draw with layers, and share the images on Picsart and other social networks. It is one of the world's most popular apps, with reportedly more than 1 billion downloads across 180 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huggle (app)</span> Location-based social application

Huggle was a location-based social application which connected users based on commonality of places they frequent. The app was developed through a partnership with entrepreneur Andrey Andreev. Following a soft launch in 2015, it was officially launched in July 2016. It was acquired by Badoo in 2018. In 2020 Bumble decided it would no longer maintain the platform.

Comparison of user features of messaging platforms refers to a comparison of all the various user features of various electronic instant messaging platforms. This includes a wide variety of resources; it includes standalone apps, platforms within websites, computer software, and various internal functions available on specific devices, such as iMessage for iPhones.

Peanut, a product of Peanut App Ltd. is an online community for women who are planning to become pregnant, women who are pregnant, women who have had children, and women who are experiencing menopause. Profiles of potential friends are displayed to users who can swipe up to show intent to connect. Users can also connect via discussion threads, groups, and live audio conversations. The app allows users to select their stage of life, to meet women at a similar life stage, and to discover relevant content.

References

  1. ↑ LaPorte, Nicole (July 15, 2020). "Bumble hits 100 million users—and has new plans to take over the dating world". Fast Company.
  2. ↑ "Badoo FAQ". Badoo. Archived from the original on 2015-01-07. Retrieved November 15, 2006.
  3. ↑ "Badabing Badaboom – Badoo Hits 150 Million Users, Boosted By Mobile". TechCrunch. AOL. 4 May 2012.
  4. 1 2 "The reclusive CEO of dating app Badoo on his app's redesign, Bumble, and why he won't IPO any time soon". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  5. ↑ Badoo – Terms of Use Accessed August 2009.
  6. ↑ Toglia, Michelle (2016-03-25). "Here's How Dating App Badoo's Photo Verification Will Wipe Out Catfishing". Bustle.
  7. 1 2 "The Dating Game". BBC News. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  8. 1 2 "Project Portfolio – Badoo". Finam Capital. 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-02-28. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
  9. ↑ "Top 15 Most Popular Dating Websites". eBizMBA. September 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Rowan, David. "How Badoo built a billion-pound social network... on sex". Wired UK. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  11. 1 2 Needleman, Rafe (February 23, 2012). "Badoo: Social experiment or hookup site?". CNET. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  12. ↑ Butcher, Mike (21 January 2008). "UK's Badoo pulls $30m for Russian launch, ahead of a home push". Techcrunch. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  13. ↑ "Huge Facebook App Loses 75% Uniques After Facebook Threatens It". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  14. ↑ "Social Network Badoo Officially Launches in U.S. With Nick Cannon [PICS]". Mashable. 23 March 2012.
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ Albert-Deitch, Cameron (9 July 2019). "Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Bumble's Majority Investor Threaten to Throttle the Company's Pro-Woman Cred". Inc. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  17. ↑ Frommer, Dan. "The Biggest Startup You've Never Heard Of Is About To Hit 108 Million Members". Business Insider. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  18. 1 2 "New look". team.badoo.com. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  19. ↑ Frommer, Dan. "The Biggest Startup You've Never Heard Of Is About To Hit 108 Million Members". Business Insider .
  20. ↑ "Video dating app Badoo could help you to filter out misleading singles". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  21. ↑ "Badoo plans to drop the swipe from its dating app as it tests live video broadcasts". 6 June 2018.
  22. ↑ "We want to encourage our community to focus on making connections, rather than spending time viewing streams".
  23. ↑ "This dating app has a genius way of preventing catfishing". Cosmopolitan. 2016-07-11. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  24. ↑ "How to Request a Selfie in Badoo". TechJunkie. BOX 20. 3 November 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  25. ↑ Taub, Alexander. "Badoo's Selfie Verification Is A Unique Way Of Solving The Catfishing Problem". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  26. ↑ Sweney, Mark (24 December 2007). "Elevator Pitch: Why Badoo wants to be the next word in social networking". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008.
  27. ↑ "A nightclub on your smartphone". The Economist. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 September 2011.
  28. ↑ Bonneau, Joseph; Preibusch, Sören (2009), "The Privacy Jungle: On the Market for Privacy in Social Networks" (PDF), WEIS '09: Proceedings of the Eighth Workshop on the Economics of Information Security.
  29. ↑ Social networks ‘failing users’ The Daily Telegraph 21 Jul 2009.
  30. ↑ "Treffipalvelu varastaa profiilitiedot: Varo tätä sovellusta Facebookissa". Iltalehti (in Finnish). 21 January 2011. Archived from the original on January 23, 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  31. ↑ "European privacy requests for search removals". Transparency Report. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
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