eYou opens public app as users distrust social media

eYou has opened its social media platform to the public after passing 50,000 registered users during its waitlist phase.

The Bucharest-based platform is now available worldwide on iOS and Android. It presents itself as a European rival to established social networks, with real-time fact-checking built into users' feeds and settings that let users change how content is ranked.

The launch is accompanied by survey findings that point to widespread distrust of social media services. In research based on 370 respondents, 89% said they encounter fake news or disinformation on social media, 77% said they feel manipulated by the content they see, and 63% said social media quality is getting worse.

Other findings suggest concern about how platforms shape what users read and watch. According to the survey, 93% of respondents believed algorithms trap them in echo chambers by showing content they already agree with, while 97% said platforms do not prioritise truth or accuracy.

Respondents also raised concerns about incentives and governance. The data showed that 85% said platforms prioritise profit over user wellbeing, 75% said they favour addictiveness over user wellbeing, and 67% were concerned that existing platforms are governed by US or Chinese laws.

Despite those concerns, the survey suggests social media remains deeply embedded in daily life. Some 27% of respondents described themselves as addicted to social media, 13% said they spend more than four hours a day on it, and 47% said they spend one to two hours a day on social media.

Early users

Most early users came from Romania, where both co-founders are based, but the US accounted for 19% of the user base, making it the second-largest market. Sweden ranked behind the US, suggesting demand has spread beyond the company's home market and wider region.

eYou was founded by French entrepreneurs Jasseem Allybokus and Grégoire Vigroux, who have been based in Romania for more than a decade. The start-up describes itself as independent and apolitical.

Its model centres on greater user control over recommendations and moderation of false claims within the feed itself. Users can adjust algorithm settings in an effort to reduce the effect of disinformation and limit the creation of echo chambers.

The wider market is facing growing scrutiny over how social platforms handle harmful content, data and political debate. eYou's survey found that 59% of respondents do not believe their data is safe on the platforms they use, while more than 80% said they use Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn at least monthly. A majority also said they use TikTok and X.

That mix suggests users remain active across several networks even as confidence in them weakens. For smaller entrants, this may create an opening to target users dissatisfied with how existing services rank, recommend and police content.

The survey sample was drawn from a group of 1,000 individuals, with most respondents based in Europe. While limited in size, the findings add to a growing body of evidence that users are uneasy about the influence large platforms exert over public discussion and personal data.

Grégoire Vigroux, co-founder of eYou, set out the company's pitch in a launch statement. "People don't trust what they see online anymore. Social media has become an essential part of how we live and understand the world, but users feel manipulated and misinformed and our research shows that people want change. Social media is entering a new generation - one that isn't about capturing attention at all costs, but about trust, transparency and giving control back to the user," he said.