Social media app Vero seemed to gain massive popularity overnight, and the #DeleteVero campaign came just as quick.
But CEO Ayman Hariri told Cheddar the backlash is over “incorrect information.”
“The things that transpired [at my old company] happened after I left,” he said.
Hariri, son of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, has come under fire for alleged human rights violations at a now-shuttered Saudi Arabian construction company where he once served as deputy CEO.
Tens of thousands of workers at the family-run business reportedly filed complaints of unpaid wages, but Hariri, who left the firm in 2013, denied any involvement.
Vero was launched in 2015, but catapulted to the top of Apple’s app store in the past week. It reimagines Instagram by removing the square-image restrictions, making it a major draw for photographers. It’s also free of ads and allows users to post more than just images and videos.
“You can share anything from your camera roll. You can share any link to anything online. You can share any song, any movie or TV show, any book, and any place,” Hariri explained.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/vero-founder-and-ceo-addresses-controversy-over-past-company-and-deletevero).
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Thursday that the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. in the current fiscal quarter will be sourced from India, while iPads and other devices will come from Vietnam as the company works to avoid the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on its business. Apple’s earnings for the first three months of the year topped Wall Street’s expectations thanks to high demand for its iPhones, and the company said tariffs had a limited effect on the fiscal second quarter’s results. Cook added that for the current quarter, assuming things don’t change, Apple expects to see $900 million added to its costs as a result of the tariffs.
Visa is hoping to hand your credit card to an artificial intelligence “agent” that can find and buy clothes, groceries, airplane tickets and other items on your behalf.
Skift Editor-In-Chief Sarah Kopit discusses how summer travel plans remain uncertain for most as many international travelers are leery to travel abroad. Watch!
