BeenVerified
{{Short description|Internet company specializing in making public records available online}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = BeenVerified
| logo = File:BeenVerified_Logo.png
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| foundation = {{start date and age|2007|3}}{{cite news | last =Lapowsky | first =Issie | title =Case Study: Josh Levy and Ross Cohen of BeenVerified| newspaper =Inc. | date =December 8, 2011 | url =http://www.inc.com/magazine/201112/case-study-josh-levy-and-ross-cohen-of-beenverified.html| access-date =January 31, 2014 }}
| founder = Josh Levy
Ross Cohen
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| location_city = New York City, New York
| location_country = U.S.
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| key_people = Josh Levy, CEO{{cite book | last =Holtz | first =Shel | title =Tactical Transparency: How Leaders Can Leverage Social Media to Maximize Value and Build their Brand | publisher =John Wiley & Sons | year =2008 | isbn =9780470460191 }}
Ross Cohen, COO{{cite book | last =Angwin | first =Julia | author-link=Julia Angwin | title =Dragnet Nation: A Quest for Privacy, Security, and Freedom in a World of Relentless SUrveillance | publisher =Macmillan | year =2014 | url =https://archive.org/details/dragnetnationque0000angw | isbn =9780805098075 | url-access =registration }}
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BeenVerified is a background check company that provides consumer initiated criminal background and people search services through its website for profit as well as its mobile application "Background Check App."{{cite news | last =Ha | first =Anthony | title =BeenVerified's iPhone app runs 110,829 free background checks in first week | newspaper = Venture Beat | date =December 24, 2009 | url =https://venturebeat.com/2009/12/24/beenverified-iphone-free-background-checks/ | access-date =January 31, 2014 }}{{cite web| title =BeenVerified Android & iPhone APP: Free Background Checks| work =KSL| date =July 27, 2011| url=http://www.ksl.com/?nid=895&sid=16546535 }} The company also launched additional mobile applications including a reverse number look up called NumberGuru{{cite news | last =Bradley | first =Tom | title =Number Guru Provides Free Reverse Lookups | newspaper =PC World| date =May 27, 2010 | url =http://www.pcworld.com/article/228907/number_guru_provides_free_reverse_lookups.html | access-date =January 31, 2014 }} and a registered sex offender tracking app that uses augmented reality to locate sex offenders.{{cite news | title =Use Augmented Reality to Locate Sex Offenders in Your Area | newspaper =Mashable| date =October 25, 2010 | url =http://mashable.com/2010/10/25/sex-offender-tracker/| access-date =January 31, 2014 }}{{cite news | last =Jackson | first =Nicholas | title =Finding Sex Offenders Using Your iPhone | newspaper = The Atlantic | date =November 3, 2010 | url =https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/11/finding-sex-offenders-using-your-iphone/65974/| access-date =January 31, 2014 }}
History
Founded in 2007, Josh Levy and Ross Cohen launched BeenVerified in 2009 and began advertising on national television, as well as on the back of garbage trucks. Initially, the company included a service called StandOut that allowed people to check and verify their own background information to use as a marketing tool online in the form of an embeddable seal as well as see what information employers could potentially find out about them.{{cite news | title =BeenVerified Checks Your New Online Buds' Background | newspaper = The New York Observer | publisher =Highbeam.com | date =October 21, 2008 | url =http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-187545860.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150924150008/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-187545860.html | url-status =dead | archive-date =September 24, 2015 | access-date =January 30, 2014 }}
Levy and Cohen have discussed the company's pivot from originally focusing on the small business market to becoming a consumer-focused background check service in Inc. and CIO Magazine.{{Cite web|title = Case Study: Josh Levy and Ross Cohen of BeenVerified|url = http://www.inc.com/magazine/201112/case-study-josh-levy-and-ross-cohen-of-beenverified.html|website = Inc.com|date = December 8, 2011|access-date = December 22, 2015}}{{Cite web|title = 6 tips for pivoting your business|url = https://www.cio.com/article/2972232/it-strategy/6-tips-for-pivoting-your-business.html|website = CIO|access-date = December 22, 2015|date = August 17, 2015}}
In 2009, BeenVerified launched an iPhone application called the Background Check App, allowing users to use the service on their iPhones.{{cite news | last =Klopott | first =Freeman | title =iPhone app grants instant access to background checks | newspaper =The Washington Examiner | publisher =Highbeam.com | date =December 28, 2009 | url =http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-21068464.html| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150924190359/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-21068464.html| url-status =dead| archive-date =September 24, 2015| access-date =January 30, 2014 }} It was the second background check app for the iOS platform behind the DateCheck app launched by Intelius a year earlier.
In 2010, BeenVerified released a sex offender tracking app for both iOS and Android platforms. The app uses public records such as sex offender registries, geolocation services, and augmented reality to show users the location of sex offenders.
The company released another app in 2011 called "Number Guru", a free reverse phone number look up service.{{cite news | last =Epstein | first =Zach | title =Number Guru for iPHone, Android provides free unlimited reverse phone number look-ups | newspaper = BGR | date =May 30, 2011 | url =https://bgr.com/2011/05/30/numberguru-for-iphone-android-provides-free-unlimited-reverse-phone-number-look-ups/ | access-date =January 31, 2014 }}
BeenVerified ranked #26 on the Inc. 5000 list for 2013, including being named the fastest growing company in New York. The company reported revenues of $13.7 million in 2012.{{Cite web|title = BeenVerified: Number 26 on the 2013 Inc. 5000|url = https://www.inc.com/profile/beenverified|website = Inc.com|access-date = December 22, 2015}}
In 2015, BeenVerified launched a caller ID and reverse phone lookup app for the Apple Watch.{{Cite news|title = Software developers try on Apple watch, see more apps coming|url = https://www.reuters.com/article/apple-watch-developers-idUSL2N0X724P20150425|newspaper = Reuters|date = April 25, 2015|access-date = December 22, 2015}}
Services
BeenVerified uses traditional background methods in addition to Web 2.0 and social networking to return results to a requesting user.{{cite news | title =BeenVerified.com Launches Ground-Breaking Background Verification Service for Businesses & Individuals | newspaper =Telecommunications Weekly | publisher =Highbeam.com | date =November 5, 2008 | url =http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-189286347.html| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150924150108/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-189286347.html| url-status =dead| archive-date =September 24, 2015| access-date =January 30, 2014 }} Users enter the name and/or email address of the person they are requesting information on and are given information from public records and other privately licensed databases of public record information. The Background Check App released allows users to run background checks with a smartphone.{{cite news |last = Bradley|first = Tony|title = Controversial App Provides Background Checks On the Go|newspaper = PC World|date = January 20, 2010|url = http://www.pcworld.com/article/187304/Controversial_App_Provides_Background_Checks_On_the_Go.html|access-date = January 31, 2014}} The app uses names and email addresses to run background checks through its website, with the capability of checking anyone in a user's contact list. The services at BeenVerified are not free, and users must pay for access through either a one- or three-month billing plan.
BeenVerified has an opt-out process for anyone wanting to remove their own information from the site. The company has also come under scrutiny in the past for its opt-out process and works with companies to remove their information upon request.{{cite news | last =Jimenez | first =Charlene | title =Safe Shepherd guides, manages your privacy online | newspaper = American Genius | date =January 25, 2013 | url =http://agbeat.com/tech-news/safe-shepherd-guides-manages-your-privacy-online/ | access-date =January 31, 2014 }}
References
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