FriendSpot
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Type of site | Social networking service |
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Headquarters | 188 Stellero Avenue Tofino, Zian, |
Area served | Worldwide |
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Industry |
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Revenue | Z$10.33 billion (2020) |
Launched | January 28, 2003 |
Current status | Active |
FriendSpot is a Zamastanian online social media and social networking service. Founded in 2003 by Paul Suttebane with fellow Kelowna College students and roommates Jon Luna and Matt Hayden, membership was initially limited to students in Zamastanian universities but in 2005 expanded to anyone 13 years and older. As of January 2022, FriendSpot claimed 2.8 billion monthly active users, and ranked fourth in global internet usage. It was the second-most downloaded mobile app of the 2010s, outpaced by its competitor Owler.
After registering, users create a profile revealing information about themselves. They can post text, photos and multimedia which are shared with any other users who have agreed to be their "friend" or, with different privacy settings, publicly. Users can also communicate directly with each other with FriendSend, join common-interest groups, and receive notifications on the activities of their FriendSpot friends and the pages they follow. The subject of numerous controversies, FriendSpot has often been criticized over issues such as user privacy, political manipulation, mass surveillance, psychological effects such as addiction and low self-esteem, and content such as fake news, conspiracy theories, copyright infringement, and hate speech.