For nearly two decades, apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have shaped how we make and keep friends. As these platforms have grown, so have the questions from researchers and critics about what they’re doing to our relationships. Are the people we follow and interact with online real connections? Shay Kashif, founder and CEO of tagme, doesn’t think so, at least not on their own.
On this episode of Aryan Talks Tech, Shay explains how tagme works: friends upload photos from parties, formals, and graduations, and face recognition finds everyone in them, building a network from people you’ve actually met in person. He talks about where the idea came from, how photography shaped the product, and what it’s like to build a social-media startup with a team of four while in college, including fending off a cyberattack by learning on the fly. We also discuss the privacy questions that come with face recognition, the challenge of getting people to join a new social network, and whether technology can strengthen real-world relationships rather than replace them.
