Let's BeReal: The Information Security Risks In The BeReal App

The has been around for a few years but its popularity has surged in the past year. Its premise is to humanise social media by disrupting the illusions and "filtered reality" created by other social media platforms. Instead, it prompts users to share their current activities at a random point during the day.

A user will receive a single notification from the app at a random time during the day and will have a two-minute window within which to take a picture (using both the front and rear cameras) and share it with their friends or publicly. The user has no control over when to share the picture; they act only when they receive the prompt.

Mainstream social media platforms have gained a reputation for being addictive and adversely affecting users' mental wellbeing by constantly showcasing seemingly flawless and enviable life experiences. The complete randomness of the BeReal app undercuts the notoriety of mainstream social media.