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).
Tim Luckow, Co-Founder and CEO of Notes.fm, discusses $10 million in missing music royalties, AI’s impact on artist payments and the future of music ownership.
Thomas DiFazio, ETF Strategist at Roundhill Investments, breaks down the Fed’s rate decision, inflation risks and what comes next for stocks and small-caps.
Abigail Buckwalter, President and CEO of Ocean Spray, discusses its “Bog Core” fashion collection, reaching Gen Z and reinventing an iconic cranberry brand.
Chris Yu, founder and president of ALSO, explains how the Rivian spin-off is reinventing electric bikes and developing new solutions for urban delivery.
Irene Solaiman, Hugging Face's Chief Policy Officer and SVP of Strategy, discusses open-source AI, model sharing, safety and the fight for transparency.
Jack Withinshaw, CCO and co-founder of Airspeeder, explains how electric flying car racing could revolutionize motorsport and the future of transportation.
TIME reveals its 2026 Best Inventions list of 300 breakthroughs, featuring Apple CEO John Ternus and the iPhone Duo as he shares his vision for the future.
