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).
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