Badoo

Badoo is a multi-lingual, London based, social networking website. It offers users the ability to connect with people at a local and global level, allowing them to share photos and videos, create "reportages" of their lives, and promote themselves and their work. Their "philosophy," which they have trademarked, is I am here.

Launched in May 2006 (although the URL existed as a web portal since 2003), the site now has over 12 million registered users, ^[1] and is one of the top 100 visited sites on the net, according to Alexa Internet.^[2] It is also one of the top ten community websites in Europe.^[3] In September 2007, Badoo re-launched the site, promising users "upgraded features and innovative new tools."^[4]

Unlike other social networking services, Badoo does not incorporate advertising in any part of the site, thus a user’s profile contains only user-generated content. It generates income through a "Rise Up" feature which allows users to pay to have their profile given more prominance on the site for a limited time. 20% of Badoo’s 12.5 million users access this function once a month. ^[5]