App privacy vs. convenience: how UBQT applies digital minimalism to foster authentic connections
Following GISEC event last week in Dubai World Trade Centre (a cybersecurity focused event), Jonathan L. Hasson and Lara Varjabedian, serial entrepreneurs and co-Founders of UBQT, further explain their vision and strategy behind the creation of their groundbreaking app. They share insight on what a key part for them was to respect the privacy of their users and make the navigation on the tool very easy.
How to bring privacy back into the digital space
A massive issue with most of today’s apps is their lack of concern for privacy and the information of their users. The UBQT team has made it a priority to give multiple options to the users depending on what they feel comfortable sharing. UBQT has push notifications, and in order to best utilize the application, users need to activate the sync with their calendars and contacts, and also share their location. It is not to drown the users in irrelevant information but to notify them when someone is near and share reminders for booked-confirmed catch-ups.
“Data is often used to send curated targeted ads to users. At UBQT, we wish to steer away from all that noise, and that includes advertising per se. We are not here to sell you something; our mission is to keep the noise out of the app, ensure a seamless experience and ultimately enable you to reconnect with your tribe” saidJonathan Hasson, co-Founder and CEO of UBQT.
What makes UBQT so different from other apps is the idea behind it and its features
Jonathan and Lara have one clear goal: to help people reconnect in real life. And that is why, even though the initial connection is made through the app, the idea is to spend as little time as possible on it. Users can only share a status and send calendar invite suggestions to their contacts, their network is private to them with sub-categories that they can create such as ‘family’, ‘friends’, and more. Bombarding the platform with photos, videos and other content is not possible. Besides helping with getting straight to the point of setting-up a catch-up, the app has another positive outcome: to help people get out of their loneliness. Individuals connect online with so many people, a lot of them they usually do not even know personally, but it leads nowhere often ending up being a waste of time and mentally draining. UBQT encourages people to put back the social aspect at the center of their social interactions, making it very convenient to fill a calendar of catch-ups with contacts from various backgrounds (work or personal).
2024 is a year when discussions on artificial intelligence and new technology will only increase as people navigate what new tools can do and the risks associated with them. UBQT’s technology is embedded in innovation and the great things it has to offer. It plans to continue to improve features and offer more options depending on each user’s needs; that may include elements of gamification as well as travel tech features – always in line with the philosophy of digital minimalism. UBQT’s mission is to be a transparent app with a transparent communication, and the team is very clear on the fact that they do not sell their users’ data. People should have full visibility and control over how their data is being used.
UBQT is the digital cleansing people need without losing connections with those who matter. For more information about UBQT, please visit http://www.joinubqt.com/
