About
Whisper is a mobile application for Apple iOS and Google Android devices that allows users to anonymously message secrets to other users in the form of text over images in the style of PostSecret.
History
Michael Heyward and Brad Brook launched Whisper in 2012 thinking it would be a sort of anti-Facebook, with people sharing their secrets instead of bragging about good things in their life.[2] The app is free to download from the iTunes or Google app store, but the ability to send users private messages costs $5.99 per month.
The app had a weekly “secrets” series with The Huffington Post’s teen section[1] which ran from August 23rd, 2012 to October 5th, 2013. Each week a post containing a slideshow with ten secrets relating to the weeks theme, for example summer or the election, from Whisper would be posted on The Huffington Post. As of August 2013, the app was receiving 2.5 billion page views every month.[8]
Funding
On April 4th, 2013, the tech news blog TechCrunch[6] reported that Whisper had received $3 million in funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners as well as others investors such as Trinity Ventures. On September 4th, TechCrunch[7] announced Whisper had received an addition $21 million in funding.
Reception
There has been concern by users that their messages might not stay anonymous if the app is hacked. On January 24th, 2014 Forbes[5] published a post titled “3 Reasons To Be Wary Of Secret-Sharing App Whisper’s Claim To Anonymity,” which examined whether the possibility that Whisper might try create viral content out of its submissions, could introduce ads, and the fact that it keeps tabs on users to enforce its rules means the app is not perfectly anonymous.
As of January 2014, Whisper is used by an audience that’s 30% male and 70% female, with only 10% of their users outside the US. It has a very active user base, with 45% of users creating a secret post at least once a day. As of February 2014, its Facebook page[3] has over 182,000 likes and its Twitter account[4] has over 2,000 followers.
Notable Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1]The Huffington Post – The Huffington Post Teen
[2]Cadandra Daily – Snapchat not sexting
[5]Forbes – 3 Reasons To Be Wary Of Secret-Sharing App Whisper’s Claim To Anonymity
[6]TechCrunch – Ultra-Hot Secret Sharing App Whisper Raises $3 Million From Lightspeed, Trinity, And Others
[7]TechCrunch – Secret-Sharing App Whisper Snags $21 Million From Sequoia, Adds Roelof Botha To Its Board
[8]All Things D – I’m So Over Oversharing: On Making Our Digital Lives More Real