Vero Goes Down As Surge in New Users Causes Connection Issues

The new social app Vero is on fire. The mobile platform exploded in popularity over the weekend, and continued to do so Monday, before it ran into a snag Monday, before it ran into a snag.

Launched with the bold slogan, “less social media, more social life” last year, Vero Vero saw sign ups spike over the weekend due to an offer of “free membership for life” for its first million users. But the surge in use also seems to have created server issues, resulting in a service outage on Monday.

Inverse experienced trouble attempting to sign up for a new Vero account on Monday. At time of writing, the company couldn’t be reached directly for a comment regarding the outage.

“We’re experiencing an outage due to heavy load,” the company’s website says. “We are working to resume normal service as soon as possible.”

“We apologize for the late update. We are scaling our servers to meet the increasing demand,” Vero also wrote on their official Twitter account. “We appreciate your continued patience while we work to restore service.”

Vero is trying to set itself apart from the social network pack by claiming it doesn’t use traditional advertising. Its forthcoming business model will instead rely on a subscription model. The platform also plans on generating revenue by charging brands for sales, via a “buy now” feature.

Founded by Ayman Hariri, the Lebanese billionaire son of the late former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, the app is being pegged as a sort of “new Instagram” for creative types. Unlike the Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform, Vero is is promising a more streamlined, private experience online.

“When you can control who sees what, you can behave in a way that is more natural,” the company’s manifesto claims. “We created a social network that lets you be yourself. Hence the name Vero. Meaning truth.”

Of course, when a new social platform launches in hopes of disrupting the big networks, folks take notice. As others have pointed out, the excitement surrounding Vero is reminiscent of other post-Facebook social platforms that failed to capitalize on their mission. Ethically-built Ello and the photo-heavy Peach come to mind.

Unfortunately, its arrival on the scene has been marred with glitches that are already being spotted on the app.

It’s hard to say whether Vero will continue to attract new users looking for Facebook and Instagram alternatives. One thing is for sure, the app’s novel approach seems to be the driving force behind its hyper growth.