BeenVerified

Last updated

BeenVerified
FoundedMarch 2007;17 years ago (2007-03) [1]
FounderJosh Levy
Ross Cohen
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
U.S.
Key people
Josh Levy, CEO [2]
Ross Cohen, COO [3]
Website www.beenverified.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

BeenVerified is a background check company that provides consumer initiated criminal background and people search services through its website for profit as well as its mobile application "Background Check App." [4] [5] The company also launched additional mobile applications including a reverse number look up called NumberGuru [6] and a registered sex offender tracking app that uses augmented reality to locate sex offenders. [7] [8]

Contents

History

Founded in 2007, Josh Levy and Ross Cohen launched BeenVerified in 2009 and began advertising on national television, as well as on the back of garbage trucks. [1] Initially, the company included a service called StandOut that allowed people to check and verify their own background information to use as a marketing tool online in the form of an embeddable seal as well as see what information employers could potentially find out about them. [9]

Levy and Cohen have discussed the company's pivot from originally focusing on the small business market to becoming a consumer-focused background check service in Inc. and CIO Magazine . [10] [11]

In 2009, BeenVerified launched an iPhone application called the Background Check App, allowing users to use the service on their iPhones. [12] It was the second background check app for the iOS platform behind the DateCheck app launched by Intelius a year earlier.

In 2010, BeenVerified released a sex offender tracking app for both iOS and Android platforms. [7] The app uses public records such as sex offender registries, geolocation services, and augmented reality to show users the location of sex offenders. [7]

The company released another app in 2011 called "Number Guru", a free reverse phone number look up service. [6] [13]

BeenVerified ranked #26 on the Inc. 5000 list for 2013, including being named the fastest growing company in New York. The company reported revenues of $13.7 million in 2012. [14]

In 2015, BeenVerified launched a caller ID and reverse phone lookup app for the Apple Watch. [15]

Services

BeenVerified uses traditional background methods in addition to Web 2.0 and social networking to return results to a requesting user. [16] Users enter the name and/or email address of the person they are requesting information on and are given information from public records and other privately licensed databases of public record information. [9] [16] The Background Check App released allows users to run background checks with a smartphone. [17] The app uses names and email addresses to run background checks through its website, with the capability of checking anyone in a user's contact list. [12] The services at BeenVerified are not free, and users must pay for access through either a one- or three-month billing plan.

BeenVerified has an opt-out process for anyone wanting to remove their own information from the site. [17] The company has also come under scrutiny in the past for its opt-out process [17] and works with companies to remove their information upon request. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skype</span> Telecommunications software service/application

Skype is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, debit-based calls to landline and mobile telephones, and other features. It is available on various desktop, mobile, and video game console platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Voice</span> Telecommunications service by Google

Google Voice is a telephone service that provides a U.S. phone number to Google Account customers in the U.S. and Google Workspace customers in Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the contiguous United States. It is used for call forwarding and voicemail services, voice and text messaging, as well as U.S. and international calls. Calls are forwarded to the phone number that each user must configure in the account web portal. Users can answer and receive calls on any of the phones configured to ring in the web portal. While answering a call, the user can switch between the configured phones. Subscribers in the United States can make outgoing calls to domestic and international destinations. The service is configured and maintained by users in a web-based application, similar in style to Google's email service Gmail, or Android and iOS applications on smartphones or tablets.

Keek was a free online social networking service that allowed its users to upload video status updates, which were called "keeks". Users could post keeks to the Keek website using a webcam or via the Keek mobile apps for iPhone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or Android. Users could also reply back with text or video comments, known as "keekbacks", and share content to other major social media networks. There was also an embed option so users could embed their keeks into a blog or website.

Intelius, Inc. is a public records business headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It provides information services, including people and property search, background checks and reverse phone lookup. Users also have the ability to perform reverse address lookups to find people using Intelius’ services and an address. Intelius, founded by former InfoSpace executives, was started in 2003. It is owned and operated by PeopleConnect, Inc.

Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance, though its most widely used version is primarily developed by Google. It was unveiled in November 2007, with the first commercial Android device, the HTC Dream, being launched in September 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foursquare City Guide</span> Location-based social networking service

Foursquare City Guide, commonly known as Foursquare, is a local search-and-discovery mobile app developed by Foursquare Labs Inc. The app provides personalized recommendations of places to go near a user's current location based on users' previous browsing history and check-in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitepages (company)</span> US directory services company

Whitepages is a provider of online directory services, fraud screening, background checks and identity verification for consumers and businesses. It has the largest database available of contact information on residents of the United States.

<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.

Kik Messenger, commonly called Kik, is a freeware instant messaging mobile app from the Canadian company Kik Interactive, available on iOS and Android operating systems.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WhatsApp</span> Messaging and VoIP service owned by Meta Platforms

WhatsApp is an instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate Meta. It allows users to send text, voice messages and video messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other content. WhatsApp's client application runs on mobile devices, and can be accessed from computers. The service requires a cellular mobile telephone number to sign up. In January 2018, WhatsApp released a standalone business app called WhatsApp Business which can communicate with the standard WhatsApp client.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Play</span> Digital distribution service by Google

Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store or Play Store and formerly Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating system and its derivatives, as well as ChromeOS, allowing users to browse and download applications developed with the Android software development kit and published through Google. Google Play has also served as a digital media store, offering games, music, books, movies, and television programs. Content that has been purchased on Google Play Movies & TV and Google Play Books can be accessed on a web browser and through the Android and iOS apps.

<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">NumberGuru</span>

NumberGuru is a website and smartphone application that allows users to look up the owner of an entered telephone number. Developed by BeenVerified, it can be accessed through its website and smartphone applications for iPhone, Windows Mobile, and Android. It aggregates 99% of landline phones and approximately 50% of domestic cell phones. It also collects data on toll-free and telemarketing callers. It was reported that it averaged approximately 864,000 look-ups per day shortly after its launch in May 2011. It was also listed as a Top 10 Utility App and Top 150 Free Apps Overall by App Annie.

Threema is a paid cross-platform encrypted instant messaging app developed by Threema GmbH in Switzerland and launched in 2012. The service operates on a decentralized architecture and offers end-to-end encryption. Users can make voice and video calls, send photos, files, and voice notes, share locations, and make groups. Unlike many other popular secure messaging apps, Threema does not require phone numbers or email addresses for registration, only a one-time purchase that can be paid via an app store or anonymously with Bitcoin or cash.

happn is a French location-based social search mobile and web application that allows users to like or dislike other users, and allows users to chat if both parties liked each other. The app is used as an online dating application.

Digital identity is used in Australia by residents to validate who they are over digital media, such as over the Internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reception and criticism of WhatsApp security and privacy features</span> Reception and criticism of security and privacy features in the WhatsApp messaging service

This article provides a detailed chronological account of the historical reception and criticism of security and privacy features in the WhatsApp messaging service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Pay (payment method)</span> Mobile payments platform developed by Google

Google Pay is a mobile payment service developed by Google to power in-app, online, and in-person contactless purchases on mobile devices, enabling users to make payments with Android phones, tablets, or watches. Users can authenticate via a PIN, passcode, or biometrics such as 3D face scanning or fingerprint recognition.

References

  1. 1 2 Lapowsky, Issie (December 8, 2011). "Case Study: Josh Levy and Ross Cohen of BeenVerified". Inc. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  2. ↑ Holtz, Shel (2008). Tactical Transparency: How Leaders Can Leverage Social Media to Maximize Value and Build their Brand. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   9780470460191.
  3. ↑ Angwin, Julia (2014). Dragnet Nation: A Quest for Privacy, Security, and Freedom in a World of Relentless SUrveillance . Macmillan. ISBN   9780805098075.
  4. ↑ Ha, Anthony (December 24, 2009). "BeenVerified's iPhone app runs 110,829 free background checks in first week". Venture Beat. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  5. ↑ "BeenVerified Android & iPhone APP: Free Background Checks". KSL . July 27, 2011.
  6. 1 2 Bradley, Tom (May 27, 2010). "Number Guru Provides Free Reverse Lookups". PC World. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 "Use Augmented Reality to Locate Sex Offenders in Your Area". Mashable. October 25, 2010. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  8. ↑ Jackson, Nicholas (November 3, 2010). "Finding Sex Offenders Using Your iPhone". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "BeenVerified Checks Your New Online Buds' Background". The New York Observer. Highbeam.com. October 21, 2008. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Case Study: Josh Levy and Ross Cohen of BeenVerified". Inc.com. December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  11. ↑ "6 tips for pivoting your business". CIO. August 17, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Klopott, Freeman (December 28, 2009). "iPhone app grants instant access to background checks". The Washington Examiner. Highbeam.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  13. ↑ Epstein, Zach (May 30, 2011). "Number Guru for iPHone, Android provides free unlimited reverse phone number look-ups". BGR. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  14. ↑ "BeenVerified: Number 26 on the 2013 Inc. 5000". Inc.com. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Software developers try on Apple watch, see more apps coming". Reuters. April 25, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  16. 1 2 "BeenVerified.com Launches Ground-Breaking Background Verification Service for Businesses & Individuals". Telecommunications Weekly. Highbeam.com. November 5, 2008. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  17. 1 2 3 Bradley, Tony (January 20, 2010). "Controversial App Provides Background Checks On the Go". PC World. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  18. ↑ Jimenez, Charlene (January 25, 2013). "Safe Shepherd guides, manages your privacy online". American Genius. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.