New Selfies App Fails to Protect Users from Cyber-Bullying HUH?

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New Selfies App Fails to Protect Users from Cyber-Bullying,,
 Justin Bieber is dipping his toes into the world of tech investing. Bieber invested $1.1 million in RockLive’s new self-portrait photo-sharing app, Shots of Me, which launched yesterday.

Anyone using social media knows that selfie use has skyrocketed. So, the arrival of a selfie-dedicated app is not surprising.

What motivated Bieber to fund a selfie-sharing app? It might not just be his love of selfies (just check out his Instagram profile). Bieber admitted he wants to provide a safe and friendly environment for fans to share self-portraits.

Shots of Me is reportedly safer and more welcoming than public selfies. Social media can be a scary and threatening place full of cyber-bullying and comments fueled by judgment and cruel criticism.

What distinguishes Shots of Me from other photo-sharing apps like Instagram is the absence of a comment section. The only public feedback occurs through a “like” or between confirmed “friends” through a direct message.

“People share photos because they felt so positive at that moment,” Shots of Me CEO John Shahidi explained to TechCrunch. “Drama kills that moment.”

Unlike other apps, Shots of Me doesn't provide filters to enhance a photo. Instead, the app embraces the idea of capturing the rawness and reality of a selfie. Gone is the competition to display an ideal shot by cropping or making it artsy.

If you’re a stickler for making your skin tanner or enhancing the whiteness of your teeth, Shots of Me is not for you.

I decided to give Shots of Me a try. I discovered the app did not protect my privacy as advertised. Since joining, I have acquired two random followers and I don’t have the ability to make my profile and selfies private.

Instagram, by contrast, provides the choice of private or public profiles. Users who choose to make a profile private must approve requests to see photos.

Shots of Me fails to provide this privacy and uploads any selfie to a newsfeed viewed by strangers. This is unsettling. While Shots of Me may have its benefits, I prefer to share my selfies privately. So, for now, I’m sticking with Instagram and Snapchat.

How to Start and Sign Up

Start by signing up through your Twitter account or e-mail address.

Choose a username and password.

Soon, a selfies feed from the Shots of Me community appears, giving you the option to “like” or message the individuals being viewed.

Meanwhile, you can upload a selfie from your smartphone and add a caption and geographic location tag.

Please note: There are no editing options – not even cropping.

By clicking on “Find Friends,” Shots of Me presents “suggested users” based on your Twitter account. Once you select from that list, their selfies will display on your feed.

Shots of Me is available for free on iOS.

{image via TechCrunch}