Can I get an amen? Brazil’s sin-free version of Facebook is already at 100,000 users

Facebook’s algorithms may already skew your content in order to make you happier, but if you’re really just itching for a pure and holy experience, devoid of anything even remotely sinful, visit Facegloria, Brazil’s G-rated version of Facebook.

The social media platform invites anyone and everyone to sign up for an account, but the rules of participation are strict – no swearing, no “violent or erotic content,” or any displays of homosexual activity. Photographs of marijuana, alcohol, and perhaps even tobacco may come under close scrutiny, and you’d better think twice before posting that bathroom selfie if you’re scantily clad.

While the audience for such a platform may be limited in the United States, about 20 percent of Brazil’s 202-million-strong population are Evangelical Christians, the target demographic for Facegloria. Already, in just one month of operation, the site has rounded up 100,000 loyal users who willingly click an “Amen” button instead of a thumbs up.

Web designer and co-founder Atilla Barros told AFP, “On Facebook you see a lot of violence and pornography. That’s why we thought of creating a network where we could talk about God, love, and to spread His word.”

The project started three years ago, when Barros and three of his most pious colleagues at the mayor’s office became unrepentantly frustrated with the filth that they saw on Facebook profiles. So with seed money and blessings from the government itself, they launched their Christian version of the site. Their goal now, says Barros, is to hit 10 million in two years, and with a mobile launch on the horizon, this may be a possibility.

Today, Facegloria is only available in Portuguese, which means that its moderators only monitor material posted in the platform’s native tongue. This means that despite its ability to recognize 600 swear words in Portuguese, you can curse all you want in English without any repercussions (not that we would recommend such a strategy).

Still, the team of 20 moderators notes that their jobs are relatively easy – after all, why sign up for Facegloria if your plan is to post “inappropriate” content? So if Facebook is just getting too raunchy for you, consider a move to Brazil and a profile on Facegloria.

from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/1NQfUoa
Lulu Chang